Camp Scholarships Available for Children Affected by MS

National Multiple Sclerosis Society-Wisconsin Chapter’s Camp Scholarship Program helps children attend the summer camp of their choice.

Applications are being accepted for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society-Wisconsin Chapter Camp Scholarship Program, which provides children whose parents have MS or who have MS themselves with the opportunity to attend the accredited camp of their choice in Wisconsin this summer.

To participate in the program, children must be between the ages of 8-14 and either have a parent or guardian who has been diagnosed or have been diagnosed themselves. A limited number of camp scholarships are available and will be evaluated on an ongoing basis pending available funding. The maximum scholarship amount is $800; currently scholarships are estimated to range from $300-500 each.

Through the program, supported by a grant from the Evan and Marion Helfaer Foundation, children can attend a Wisconsin overnight camp or day camp of their choice, including sports camps, special needs camps and specialty camps. The duration of the camp is limited to one week and can include one week-long day camp or overnight camp (but not multiple one-day camps). The goal is to help children take a break from living with the effects of multiple sclerosis: the added responsibilities, limited finances and unpredictable nature of the disease that can affect the entire family. 

For more details on applying for a Camp Scholarship and to download the application, visit www.wisMS.org. Applications are due at least five weeks in advance of the date of the camp.

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.1 million people worldwide. More than 10,000 children, women and men have been diagnosed in Wisconsin, believed to be one of the higher prevalence rates in the nation.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. The Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, collaborating with MS organizations around the world, and providing programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move forward with their lives. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society invested $44 million in 2012 to support more than 350 new and ongoing research projects around the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. Join the movement by contacting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society-Wisconsin Chapter at wisms.org or 262-369-4400 (toll-free 800-242-3358).

Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-FIGHT-MS (344-4867).