A theatrical set of trees, cabins, campfires and wildlife will set the scene for pediatric patients to participate in four themed days of traditional camping activities, including fishing, baseball, gold panning, songwriting, dancing and drumming. Some children will dress as their favorite superheroes and parade through the campground in costume. To complete their camping experience, children will gather around a mock campfire to eat S’mores and sing camp songs.

“Some children are living with serious illnesses that require frequent, short- or long-term hospitalization,” says Jennifer Wallace, a Child Life Specialist at the MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center. “Since they cannot get out and play or experience camp like many of their peers, this provides a great outlet for them to have fun and take their minds off their illnesses, even if only for a short time. Camp To Go helps contribute to the physical, emotional and social health needs of our patients.”

Camp To Go is a pilot program for Camp Twin Lakes, a nonprofit organization for children with serious illnesses and other life challenges.  Camp Rainbow, for children with cancer and rare blood diseases; Camp Joint Venture, for children with rheumatoid arthritis; and Camp Strong Hearts, for children with heart defects or who have received heart transplants, are three traditional camps hosted annually for the hospital’s more ambulatory patients by the MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center, a Partner of Camp Twin Lakes.

About MCGHealth
MCG Health, Inc. (d/b/a MCGHealth) is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCGHealth Medical Center, MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center, and related outpatient facilities and services throughout the state.  For more information, please visit mcghealth.org.
 
About Camp Twin Lakes
Camp Twin Lakes is a nonprofit organization that offers year-round recreational, therapeutic and educational programs for children facing serious illnesses and other physical, emotional and life challenges.  With its network of Partners, Camp Twin Lakes provides life-changing experiences at its state-of-the-art, fully accessible facility, located on 500 acres in Rutledge, Georgia, and at other locations throughout the state.  Camp Twin Lakes serves thousands of children with cancer, brain injuries, muscular dystrophy, sickle cell disease, asthma, HIV and other conditions and children who have been abused and/or neglected. 
For more information about Camp Twin Lakes and a list of Partner organizations, please visit www.camptwinlakes.org.