Swooshing down the big slide. Fighting water wars on the ballfield with squirt guns. Singing around a campfire. Dancing in the big talent show.
Are these activities part of health care? You bet. They're the best kind, say hundreds of nurses, doctors and allied health professionals who spend part of their summer vacations volunteering at Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge.
Since it opened in 1993, the 300-acre site has welcomed more than 30,000 medically fragile and special-needs children and volunteers for outdoor recreation, bonding and fun.
Volunteers Joyce Dorman and Joetta Smith (from left) lead campers in a dance during the talent show at Camp Joint Venture.
Each camp has its own name, identity and sponsors. There are Camp Braveheart for children who have heart defects or have had heart transplants; Camp Rainbow for children with cancer; Camp Walk 'N Roll for children with muscular dystrophy; Camp Joint Venture for children with rheumatoid arthritis; and others.
"Twin Lakes is wonderful because it's equipped to handle the special needs of our children, where other camps are not," said Joyce Dorman, RN, MSN, a clinical nurse specialist in pediatric rheumatology at MCG Children's Medical Center in Augusta and a volunteer at Camp Joint Venture.
At Camp Twin Lakes, the cabins and gym are air-conditioned. There is a ramp that leads into the pool, and trails can accommodate wheelchairs and walkers. There's plenty of shade for children whose medications make them sensitive to the sun.
While the camps are a treasure, the nurses and other medical staff who donate their time and skills make the camps possible, said Karen Rittenbaum, director of development for the Georgia Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.