The great outdoors, great friends and a wonderful place to spend a week away from the cares of the world await campers who are also patients at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia. The hospital, in partnership with the Family YMCA of Greater Augusta, is proud to announce it will officially move its four summer camp programs from Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, Georgia, to Camp Lakeside in Lincoln County.

The Children’s Hospital of Georgia hosts four summer camps each year for children who receive treatment from the hospital. They include Camp Rainbow, Camp Joint Venture, Camp Strong Heart and Camp Sweet Life. All four camps were created to give pediatric patients the opportunity to forget about their hospital visits, their treatments and their worries, so they can focus on biking, kayaking and other activities at The Family Y’s newly renovated Camp Lakeside.

At Camp Rainbow, children with cancer and their siblings spend relaxing, fun-filled days with children in similar situations. The dates for this year’s camp are June 9-14, 2019. For more information about Camp Rainbow, contact Kym Allen by email or by calling (706) 721-5503.

For Camp Joint Venture, the goal is to give patients with rheumatic disease a week long experience filled with memories they’ll cherish for life. The dates for this year’s camp are June 23-28, 2019. For more information about Camp Joint Venture, contact Mandy Lee by email or by calling (706) 721-7637.

For pediatric patients with a cardiac-related diagnosis, there’s Camp Strong Heart. The camp is a two-day overnight adventure. The dates for this year’s camp are July 19-21, 2019. For more information, contact Macie Meeks by email or by calling (706) 721-1658.

Finally, there’s Camp Sweet Life, an overnight camp for children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. The dates for this year’s camp are July 12-14, 2019. For more information, contact Stephanie Grayson by email or by calling (706) 721-0749.

According to The Family Y, Camp Lakeside opened in 2004 along the shores of Clarks Hill Lake. The camp’s mission is to offer day and residence camps for youth, adults, families and military groups in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA).

Through a partnership between the Family YMCA of Greater Augusta and the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, a newly opened renovation and expansion project will allow anyone with a chronic health condition or disability to have access to a life-changing camp experience.