Summer Camp in WI

Overview

Camp Odayin’s summer camp for children with heart disease in grades 1-11 is an overnight experience where campers benefit from connecting with other young people who may share similar health, emotional, and social concerns. Camper eligibility is determined upon recommendation by a pediatric cardiologist and approval by the Camp Odayin Medical Director. The camp directors and your child’s cardiologist can help you assess if your child should apply to attend camp, especially if this is your child’s first experience away from home. Free bus transportation is available from both Milwaukee and Chicago, to camp and back.

Payment & Financial Support

There is a $50 registration fee per camper. Our Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) model for camp registrations supports our commitment to make our programs accessible to everyone in our community.  It costs Odayin $1,000 per camper for one week of summer camp and we ask families to pay what they can toward that cost.  There will always remain an option to pay $0. If you have questions on the cost of camp, contact the Camp Odayin office at info@campodayin.org.

If it would be beneficial to your family, we offer transportation support by reimbursing up to $200 for your travel costs.  Contact the Camp Odayin office at brooke@campodayin.org for pre-approval and details on the travel cost reimbursement process.

Camp Staff

Camp Odayin is staffed with medical professionals and trained cabin counselors who supervise campers at all times. Two pediatric cardiologists are at camp for all five days, as well as a nurse per every 7-8 children. Camp counselors sleep in cabins with the campers and they have been trained with basic cardiac knowledge as well as how to deal with homesickness. Each cabin’s nurse oversees the health of their assigned campers and distributes their medications. Camp Odayin has a fully equipped cardiac health center, which is staffed around the clock. Accommodations can be easily made for campers who need medical attention during sleeping hours.

Transportation

There are many ways to get your child to camp! Campers may be dropped off and picked up at camp, ride one of our coach busses which bring campers to camp from Milwaukee and Chicago at no cost, or a combination of both.

Additionally, Angel Flight Central is a wonderful service that can provide flight transportation for our campers that otherwise would not be able to attend camp. This service is only available to campers departing from Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, or Wisconsin. Campers flying with Angel Flight Central will not ride the bus to camp.  Rather, they fly directly into the Burlington, WI airport.  We provide transportation from the Burlington airport to/from camp.

To get the necessary forms, email brooke@campodayin.org. Fax or mail your completed forms to Camp Odayin by June 1st.  All completed paperwork will be collected by Camp Odayin and sent to Angel Flight Central. Incomplete paperwork will not be submitted. We are sticking firmly to this deadline to give Angel Flight Central plenty of time to secure your flight(s).  Obtaining an Angel Flight is not guaranteed and determining your backup plan is encouraged. 

Please contact info@campodayin.org if you have any questions or to be added to our heart family email list to receive future applications and opportunities to gather.