Summer Camp for Kids With Diabetes to Be Held at UAB

As the incidence of diabetes in children continues to rise in the United States, youngsters will now have the opportunity to attend a special summer camp at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to learn how to better manage their disease.

May 22, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - As the incidence of diabetes in children continues to rise in the United States, youngsters will now have the opportunity to attend a special summer camp at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to learn how to better manage their disease.

Camp Sugar Falls, presented by Southeastern Diabetes Education Services Inc. in collaboration with UAB, is for children ages 6-17 with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and their siblings who are in the same age group. The camp will be held 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. July 28-31 at the UAB Campus Recreation Center, 1501 University Blvd. The camp is being held at UAB for the first time.

At Camp Sugar Falls children will learn about their disease and how to control it through careful monitoring, diet and exercise. Registered nurses, along with volunteers from the UAB School of Medicine, will help provide education in diabetes management.

Other camp volunteers will include students from the UAB School of Nursing. Students in the UAB School of Education's physical education program are participating in Camp Sugar Falls as part of a service learning project. The students will plan and lead all of the camp's physical education activities, which will include games and sports such as basketball, indoor soccer, kickball, indoor rock climbing and swimming.