FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9, 2002 — MDA

Local Teen Volunteers at MDA Summer Camp

PEMBERVILLE, OH - Allison Schacht, 21, of Pemberville, is no stranger to community service. She recently spent a week as a volunteer camp counselor for the Muscular Dystrophy Association at Camp Miakonda in Sylvania Township where she cared for a child affected by a neuromuscular disease.

"I didn't know what to expect before I came, but I had so much fun - it was just great," Schacht said. "I'm definitely coming back to camp next year."

Thirty-five children and young adults from the Toledo area with neuromuscular disease participated in the weeklong summer camp sponsored by the MDA from July 28 to August 3. Each camper is paired up with a volunteer attendant for the week. A first-time volunteer at camp, Schacht was partnered with Sarah Leady, a 17-year-old from Northwood.

"I never thought there would've been so much going on at this camp," Schacht said. "Sarah and I were always busy doing something that we never got a break from having fun."

Since 1955, young people ages 6-21 with a neuromuscular disease have attended MDA summer camps. Hundreds of volunteers staff the camps and donate countless hours to ensure that each camper enjoys activities tailored to his or her special needs. Campers play a wide range of games including euchre, football and softball, and participate in other activities such as a magic show, crafts and a tug-of-war. They are paired up with at least one volunteer attendant for the entire week. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old, be interviewed by MDA staff and are subject to background checks.

Volunteer counselors are essential to the summer camp program. They work one-on-one with campers around the clock, providing the care, close supervision and attention a person with a neuromuscular disease needs. Counselors push wheelchairs, lift and carry the campers, and even "bunk down" near the campers. However, the counselor's biggest job is to make sure their camper is having the time of his/her life.

Schacht, a PTA (physical therapy assistant) student at Owens Community College, and Leady formed a special bond at MDA summer camp that they both will never forget. With an attendant like Schacht around, Leady is able to do things she normally couldn't do on her own.

"My favorite thing to do at camp is sing and dance and make arts and crafts with my friends," Leady said. "We also get to play a lot of games."

It costs MDA $525 per child to provide the campers with this unique experience. The camp is underwritten entirely by the generous support of local corporations and individuals. These and other donors will be recognized on Labor Day weekend (Sept. 1 and 2, 2002) during the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon on WB20 Detroit. This year marks the 37th Telethon.

Founded in 1950, the Muscular Dystrophy Association is a voluntary health organization dedicated to finding a cure for more than 40 neuromuscular diseases. MDA funds research worldwide and currently funds projects in Ohio at the University of Cincinnati, Case Western Reserve University, Lerner Research Institute, MetroHealth Medical Center, Children's Hospital Medical Center and Ohio State University. MDA operates 230 hospital-affiliated clinics across the country, including one at the Toledo Hospital. Services include physical, occupational and respiratory therapy, genetic counseling and testing, social services consultations and year-round patient care.

For more information or to set up an interview with a camp participant, please contact Emily Mullen, Regional Public Affairs Coordinator. Photos are available for publication upon request.

Back to Public Relations