Muscular dystrophy group on hunt for camp volunteers
By Will Hoover
Advertiser North Shore Writer
The Muscular Dystrophy Association's Summer Camp program, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, began humbly as a pilot project serving a handful of campers — 16 to be exact.
MDA Hawai'i is seeking volunteers for its Summer Camp 2005, which runs June 22-29 at Camp Erdman. People interested in volunteering can call 548-0588 or e-mail hawaiiservices@mdausa.org.
These days, thousands of MDA Summer Campers ages 6 to 21 attend annual sessions at 90 locations stretching from the Mainland to Puerto Rico and Alaska and Hawai'i.
MDA hawai'i Summer camp '05
The free camps, featuring a week of swimming, horseback riding, movies, campfires, contests and lots of fun and games, became immensely popular for kids who had limited mobility or were wheelchair bound.
Since its own beginnings in the mid-1960s, the MDA Summer Camp Hawai'i at YMCA Camp Erdman in Mokule'ia — the only one in the nation serving campers from 6 to 60 and beyond (Grandma Mary, a regular, is in her 80s) — has depended heavily on volunteers to keep things running smoothly.
Much of that volunteer support has come from the military — in particular soldiers at nearby Schofield Barracks.
All that changed dramatically at Summer Camp 2004 last June.
"The majority of our volunteers traditionally came from the military," said Jennifer Li, MDA Health Care Services Coordinator. "However, many of our volunteers were called up for active duty and not able to participate in Summer Camp 2004.
"This left us dangerously shorthanded. We want to avoid this mishap next year."
To fill the gap, MDA has begun an early recruitment drive — looking for people over the age of 16 who are friendly, have an outgoing personality and want to make a difference in people's lives.
"We're looking at getting at least 100 volunteers. They'll spend a whole week at Camp Erdman, 24 hours a day. The volunteers will assist campers at all times. All of our campers depend on one-to-one care.
"There's a lot of lifting involved and the pushing of wheelchairs."
Audrey Taniguchi, MDA district director, said the number of volunteers being sought is basically twice the number of campers expected to show up.
"For every camper there should be one to two volunteers," she explained. "So, if we have four campers in a cabin, you're looking at anywhere from eight to 12 people total in that cabin."
Volunteers are assigned to one camper throughout the week — 24 hours a day — and, as a consequence, strong bonds form.
"Summer Camp is just magical," Li said. "You see the looks on the camper's faces and they are having so much fun, and really enjoying themselves. It's just a week of happiness. It's just ... indescribable."
Reach Will Hoover at whoover @honoluluadvertiser.com 525-8038.
