Causes: Camps, Health, Heart & Circulatory System Diseases & Disorders, Recreation & Sports, Sports

Mission:
Camp Odayin provides fun, safe and supportive camp experiences and community building opportunities for young people with heart disease and their families.

Results: We welcomed our first 53 campers in 2002 and have experienced rapid growth every year since. In 2020,696 heart warriors andfamily members participated in a Camp Odayin activity. Campers spannedthe map, representing 17 states and Canada.

Target demographics: Children with heart disease and their families

Direct beneficiaries per year: 696 young people with heart disease and family members

Geographic areas served: Camp Odayin

Programs:
In an atmosphere designed to enhance self-esteem and acceptance of themselves and others, Odayin campers have the opportunity to come alive emotionally and physically in ways they never dreamed possible by reaching beyond their medical diagnosis. Participants pay just $25 to attend Virtual Camp, Residential Camp, Winter Camp, Family Camp, Dads Day, or the Moms Retreat.

Residential Camp allows campers in grades 1-11 to enjoy swimming, boating, arts and crafts, volleyball, horseback riding, nature, basketball, and music in a safe, medically-supervised environment during a five day experience in both Crosslake, MN and Elkhorn, WI.

Winter Camp offers Residential Camp or Day Camp campers who attended the previous summer the chance to reconnect and experience snowshoeing, broomball, and sledding over a three day weekend in Amery, WI.

Family Camp is an opportunity for families with a child with heart disease age birth to 12th grade to come together for fun, education, support and camaraderie. Family Camp is hosted near Minneapolis in Amery, WI and near Milwaukee/Chicago in Camp Lake, WI.

The Moms Retreat is a time for moms of young people with heart disease to connect for support, education and empowerment in Stillwater, MN.

Dads Day is a day of outdoor recreation in Excelsior, MN to build camaraderie and connection between dads of children with heart disease.

In addition, throughout the year, Camp Odayin provides educational activities and support for campers and their families. Our camp programs are supported by skilled volunteers, including nurses, cardiologists, and camp counselors, many of whom faithfully return year after year.