Kids With Arthritis To Create Lifetime Memories At Camp FunRise June 12-18; Arthritis Foundation Seeks Past Campers for 20th Anniversary Celebration

Online, May 26, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Kids with arthritis will have an opportunity to create lifetime memories at Camp FunRise June 12-18 thanks to the Florida Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation and Miami Children's Hospital. The camp is the first in Florida designed especially for children with arthritis.

Camp FunRise is designed for children ages eight to 12 and focuses on what participants can do, not what they can't do. Campers are able to learn from others who have similar conditions and experiences. The program is designed to increase self-esteem by creating opportunities for campers to meet personal challenges.

"For many young people, summer camp changes their life, not just for a week, but for a lifetime," said Anne Fair Forest, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation's Florida Chapter. "We have given children with arthritis the opportunity to make those lifetime memories for two decades."

Past campers are invited to relive the fun, friendship and experience of camp at a special twentieth anniversary celebration event June 12.

Camp FunRise is held at AD Barnes Leisure Access Center in Miami and is one of four camp experiences available for the 16,000 children with arthritis in Florida and their families sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation, Florida Chapter.

Miami Children's Hospital has been an integral part of the Camp FunRise experience since its inception. Dr. Rafael Rivas-Chacon, director of the division of rheumatology, leads the hospital's participation.

To attend the Camp FunRise reunion or learn more about summer camp for kids with arthritis, contact Susan Cuellar, vice president of mission delivery, at 1-800-850-9455.

About Juvenile Arthritis
Juvenile Arthritis (JA) refers to any form of arthritis or an arthritis-related condition that develops in children or teenagers who are less than 18 years of age. It is one of the most common childhood diseases in the United States and affects nearly 300,000 children. The Arthritis Foundation website for kids, tweens and teens living with juvenile arthritis is http://www.arthritistoday.org/kgat.