MDA Summer Camp
Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), 1021 W Adams Street, Suite 1073, 2nd Floor, IL 60607
About
MDA Summer Camp is a one-week, overnight camp program for kids and young adults with neuromuscular disease. Each summer, campers take part in in-person or virtual sessions that are described as “Summer Camp: The Best Week of the Year” and “One Week. Endless Impact.” At MDA Summer Camp, every camper is described as finding a place to belong in a community rooted in inclusion, friendship, and fun, where kids with muscular dystrophy and related diseases are described as living beyond limits.
• Ages: 8–17 years old
• Schedule: One-week overnight sessions, with campers able to participate in one camp session each year
• Price: Each summer, campers ages 8–17 attend these overnight camps around the U.S. at no cost to their families.
Camp is available to kids and young adults ages 8–17 who have been diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease, and MDA programs are only available in the U.S. Each camp includes dedicated volunteer health professionals and trained camp volunteers who meet every child’s medical and physical needs and assume all camper care, including physical and emotional support. Volunteer Counselors stay by campers’ sides day and night so campers can take part in all the fun activities that summer camp offers. Medical Team members are licensed health professionals who supervise and maintain the health and well-being of campers by administering medications, delivering first aid, and more.
Volunteer opportunities at MDA Summer Camp include serving as a counselor or medical team member at a multi-day, residential camp, and volunteers can gain field-based experience in physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical professions, education, recreation, and family social sciences, as well as earning volunteer hours. MDA strives for every camp session to provide a true camp experience, including connecting with the outdoors, developing life skills, building lifelong friendships, and providing opportunities to try new things. When kids attend MDA Summer Camp, they are described as gaining independence as they spend time away from home, learn to accept personal care from someone other than their parents or caregivers, develop greater self-esteem and confidence, and spend time with other kids who understand what it is like to live with neuromuscular disease.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association’s mission is to empower the people it serves to live longer, more independent lives. Since 1950, MDA has led the field in research, care, and advocacy for people living with neuromuscular diseases, and it is described as the #1 voluntary health organization in the United States for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and over 300 other neuromuscular conditions. Sharon Hesterlee, PhD, serves as President and CEO. Thanks to generous donors, MDA Summer Camp is provided at no cost to families, and Boucher Auto Group has provided more than four decades of support to MDA, helping Wisconsin families living with neuromuscular disease build community, independence, and support.
Parent testimonials describe MDA Summer Camp as a place where campers do not feel like outsiders and where they experience joy in returning each year. Parents report that camp is where their children “get to be the norm,” do things their peers do because adaptations and modifications are made, learn to advocate and direct their daily care, and gain self-confidence. Other parents describe being amazed at their children’s confidence and self-reliance after just one week at camp and say it is a joy to see their children blossom into strong and confident young adults who feel they can do anything they set their minds to.
Last updated June 30, 2026.
• Ages: 8–17 years old
• Schedule: One-week overnight sessions, with campers able to participate in one camp session each year
• Price: Each summer, campers ages 8–17 attend these overnight camps around the U.S. at no cost to their families.
Camp is available to kids and young adults ages 8–17 who have been diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease, and MDA programs are only available in the U.S. Each camp includes dedicated volunteer health professionals and trained camp volunteers who meet every child’s medical and physical needs and assume all camper care, including physical and emotional support. Volunteer Counselors stay by campers’ sides day and night so campers can take part in all the fun activities that summer camp offers. Medical Team members are licensed health professionals who supervise and maintain the health and well-being of campers by administering medications, delivering first aid, and more.
Volunteer opportunities at MDA Summer Camp include serving as a counselor or medical team member at a multi-day, residential camp, and volunteers can gain field-based experience in physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical professions, education, recreation, and family social sciences, as well as earning volunteer hours. MDA strives for every camp session to provide a true camp experience, including connecting with the outdoors, developing life skills, building lifelong friendships, and providing opportunities to try new things. When kids attend MDA Summer Camp, they are described as gaining independence as they spend time away from home, learn to accept personal care from someone other than their parents or caregivers, develop greater self-esteem and confidence, and spend time with other kids who understand what it is like to live with neuromuscular disease.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association’s mission is to empower the people it serves to live longer, more independent lives. Since 1950, MDA has led the field in research, care, and advocacy for people living with neuromuscular diseases, and it is described as the #1 voluntary health organization in the United States for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and over 300 other neuromuscular conditions. Sharon Hesterlee, PhD, serves as President and CEO. Thanks to generous donors, MDA Summer Camp is provided at no cost to families, and Boucher Auto Group has provided more than four decades of support to MDA, helping Wisconsin families living with neuromuscular disease build community, independence, and support.
Parent testimonials describe MDA Summer Camp as a place where campers do not feel like outsiders and where they experience joy in returning each year. Parents report that camp is where their children “get to be the norm,” do things their peers do because adaptations and modifications are made, learn to advocate and direct their daily care, and gain self-confidence. Other parents describe being amazed at their children’s confidence and self-reliance after just one week at camp and say it is a joy to see their children blossom into strong and confident young adults who feel they can do anything they set their minds to.
Last updated June 30, 2026.
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