07/22/2022

Wentworth-Douglass Awards $10,000 Grant to Camp Carefree

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital has awarded a $10,000 community benefit grant to the American Diabetes Association^® (ADA) to support Camp Campfree, a summer camp in New Durham, N.H., for children with type 1 diabetes.

The grant will help support the camp’s 2022 summer session, which starts July 31 in person after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

“In alignment with our most recent Community Health Needs Assessment, we believe Camp Carefree will have a meaningful impact on the health and wellbeing of our community by expanding access to services for both children with type 1 diabetes and their caregivers,” said Michelle Hanson, RN, director of strategic planning and community benefit at Wentworth-Douglass.

Each summer, Camp Carefree hosts over 100 campers ages 7–16 from around the region at Merrymeeting Lake. The one-week program includes diabetes education to engage campers and keep them motivated in their own care with the support of the camp community. With the contribution of valued program and medical staff, campers are supervised and encouraged to embrace new challenges through discovery, adventure, and play.

“We are so excited to bring the Camp Carefree back in person this summer. With donations like this from Wentworth Douglass Hospital, we can continue to give kids affected by diabetes a camp experience like no other,” says Alicia Harper, camp director.

The funding from Wentworth-Douglass will allow the camp to help subsidize camp fees for over 40% of the families that need financial aid for their child to attend. Funding will also be used for medical supplies and operational costs.

Wentworth-Douglass also hosts camps for children with type 1 diabetes and their families and has a deep appreciation for Camp Carefree’s mission.

“The camps we offer at Wentworth-Douglass—a family weekend, teen weekend, and a week-long day camp—serve as a vital stepping stone for kids to move on and attend Camp Carefree,” said Kris Ferullo, the hospital’s nurse manager for diabetes services. “Many of our patients attend Camp Carefree each year, it’s a fantastic camp.”

The funds donated are approved by the hospital’s Community Benefit Funding Disbursement Committee and are not raised through any public or private donations.