CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- For more than 50 years, Camp Kno-Koma has provided an educational and fun adventure experience for West Virginia children with diabetes.

The weeklong camp in Monongahela National Forest is a safe haven for youths to learn how to manage their diabetes on their own, and connect with other children with the disease.

"This is where they can come to be a kid, a normal kid," said Mona Hudson, administrative coordinator of the Greenbrier County camp.

It's a place where a child can check their blood sugar without the worry of being different, or being teased for having diabetes, Hudson said.

The camp, held July 17-23 at the Greenbrier Youth Camp, attracts about 135 kids every year. The majority of campers are from West Virginia, but Camp Kno-Koma also brings in youths from North Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia and Florida, Hudson said.

The camp is for kids ages 7-15, and teens ages 16 and 17 can attend as part of the Camp Kno-Koma's Leaders in Training program, which prepares them to become counselors.

"We have newly diagnosed children and children that have had diabetes for years," Hudson said.

No matter how long a child has lived with the disease, the camp is a chance for them to learn more about it, Hudson said.

While at Camp Kno-Koma, campers play sports, hike, bike, enjoy the wildlife and attend arts and craft classes, among a variety of other activities. Children also can take part in a character play, go kayaking, fish and enjoy plenty of time by a lake near the camp.

During their adventure away from home, children will meet new friends and interact with counselors who understand what they are going through, Hudson said. The majority of campers are repeat attendees, and about 95 percent of the counselors have diabetes, she said.

The camp has been a part of people's lives for more than 50 years, and counselors have even received letters and photographs from those who attended Camp Kno-Koma in the early 1950s, Hudson said.

For the majority of youths, the camp is the only or first time they will be around other kids with diabetes, she said.

West Virginia has a high rate of diabetes, but it is spread out across the state, and in many cases there are only one or two children in a school with the disease, she said.

The camp is designed to help youths become more confident and experienced in the management of their diabetes, so they know what to do if their blood sugar drops while their parents are at work or at the grocery store, she said.

The camp also has nurses and a physician, in addition to a group of counselors and volunteers who have experience with the disease, she said.

"Everyone gets to participate and everyone learns at their own pace," Hudson said.

Camp Kno-Koma is one the many camps supported by the Gazette Charities' Send-A-Child-To-Camp Fund. Donations from Gazette readers help send children to the camp who might not otherwise be able to attend.

Camp organizers hope to raise enough donations for 80 to 85 full scholarships at a cost of $275 each through the Send-A-Child-To-Camp Fund.

For information about Camp Kno-Koma, contact Mona Hudson at 866-899-8156, having...@campknokoma.com or visit www.campknokoma.com.

To help a child attend Camp Kno-Koma or another camp, mail your donation to the Gazette Charities Send-A-Child-To-Camp Fund, 1001 Virginia St. E., Charleston, WV 25301.

Please note that every penny you give goes to camp scholarships. The Gazette covers all administrative costs.

Reach Veronica Nett at veroni...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5113.