Camp Ho Mita Koda

08/28/2026

Last year marked an incredible milestone for longtime Camp Ho Mita Koda supporter Susan Sunkle: 75 years of living with Type 1 Diabetes.

To celebrate this achievement, Susan chose to give back and raised funds for Camp through a special birthday fundraiser. Her generosity made it possible to purchase a new picnic table overlooking Founders Lake, now dedicated as:

"Susan's Table: Celebrating 75 Years with Type 1 Diabetes"

We're sharing a few special photos alongside this story. First, a picture of Susan as a young camper at Ho Mita Koda. Second, a photo of the award she received from Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. She is apart of a long-time study of people with diabetes and they sent her a medal to recognize this milestone.

Susan shared with us, "In June of 1953, as a seven-year-old camper, I began a journey to my 'Happy Place.' I don’t see living with diabetes as being different so much as being special and I can’t separate diabetes from Ho Mita Koda. Managing diabetes as a child is a necessity, often leading to a strong accomplished independent adult life. I suspect my “Happy place” played an important role in allowing me to celebrate this milestone."

Thank you, Susan, for your generosity. We are honored that your story and your table will continue to inspire generations of campers living with T1D!

08/26/2026

We’re proud to partner with dQ&A, a leading diabetes research firm, to better understand the impact of the Camp Ho Mita Koda experience.

Together, we developed a meaningful satisfaction survey to hear directly from the families we serve. We recently received this summer’s results, and we’re excited to share a few highlights:

- 97% of families would recommend CHMK to another family with a child living with T1D.

- 96% of families said Camp effectively supported the emotional aspects of living with diabetes.

These numbers represent so much more than survey responses. They represent kids finding a place where they belong. They represent new friendships, growing confidence, and families seeing their children thrive in a community that understands life with T1D.

We’re incredibly grateful to every family who shared their experience with us—and proud to know that Camp is making a meaningful difference.

08/24/2026

Sponsor Spotlight: Magis Advisory Group

We’re excited to welcome Magis Advisory Group back as a sponsor of Backpack Bivouac this year!

Magis Advisory Group provides benefits, retirement, and financial consulting services, offering customized solutions designed to enhance the quality and direction of their clients’ interests. We’re grateful for their investment in our mission to help kids with Type 1 Diabetes thrive.

Learn more about Magis Advisory Group: https://www.magisadvisorygroup.com

Want to join us at Backpack Bivouac? There are still tickets available for September 12! Come enjoy an evening at Camp Ho Mita Koda while supporting an incredible cause: https://backpackbivouac2026.auctria.events

08/22/2026

Looking back at last year’s Women’s Wellness Retreat, we’re feeling especially grateful for the women who gathered at Camp Ho Mita Koda for a weekend of connection, wellness and plenty of cozy time around the fire.

Painting, quilling, learning about T1D screening opportunities, chair massages, somatic yoga, crystal bowl meditation, human foosball and a hike along the McCullagh Trail were some of the activities enjoyed over the weekend. And, of course, there were plenty of meaningful conversations and moments of laughter around the fire in the Great Hall.

Now it’s your turn to join us!

The 2026 Women’s Wellness Retreat is November 6–8, and spots are available for $165 per person.

Come spend a weekend at Camp reconnecting with yourself, meeting other incredible women, trying something new and enjoying all that CHMK has to offer.

Save your spot today — we’d love to welcome you to Camp this November! https://camphomitakoda.org/womens-wellness-retreat/

08/20/2026

We’re incredibly grateful to the Western Reserve Junior Service League for providing grant funding this year to purchase a new battery for our program golf cart!

The previous battery was old and stopped charging, putting an important tool out of commission just as we headed into summer camp. Thanks to their support, our team had a reliable golf cart ready to go all season long.

While a golf cart might seem like a small piece of the Camp puzzle, it plays a big role in keeping our programs running smoothly. Our team uses it to quickly move between groups, deliver supplies and snacks, respond to behavior concerns, give counselors a much-needed break, and help our staff get where they’re needed most.

Thank you, Western Reserve Junior Service League, for helping us keep Camp moving this summer!

08/17/2026

We’re happy to share this update from our annual sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care!

Thank you for your continued support of Camp and for all you do to advance diabetes technology and improve the lives of people living with T1D!

Exciting news for expecting mothers. Tandem pumps, powered by Control-IQ+ technology, are the first and only AID system in the U.S. available for use during pregnancy.

Discover the benefits of Control-IQ+ technology during pregnancy at https://bit.ly/4fZdgB1.

Donovan LE, et al. JAMA. 2025;334(24):2176–2185. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.19578.

Important Safety Information: RX ONLY. Indicated for patients with type 1 diabetes, 2 years and older and for patients with type 2 diabetes, 18 years and older. Control-IQ+ technology is intended for use in pregnancy complicated by type 1 diabetes mellitus, provided the linked CGM system is suitable for use in pregnancy. BOXED WARNING: Control-IQ+ technology should not be used in anyone under the age of 2 years old with type 1 diabetes or under the age of 18 years old with type 2 diabetes. It should also not be used in patients who require less than a total daily insulin dose of 5 units of insulin per day or who weigh less than 20 pounds, as those are the required minimum values needed for Control-IQ+ to operate safely. Safety info: https://bit.ly/2OKAQsw.

08/16/2026

It takes a village to make summer at Camp Ho Mita Koda possible — and this year, that village included 102 dedicated seasonal staff members.

From nurses and medical staff to counselors, lifeguards, kitchen staff, and so many roles in between, every person played an important part in creating a safe and unforgettable summer for our campers.

We were incredibly lucky to have such an amazing team this summer. Even more special? 34% of our summer staff live with type 1 diabetes themselves, making them powerful role models for our campers.

To every staff member who dedicated their summer to helping kids with T1D thrive: thank you. Your time, energy, and heart made a difference.

And if you want to help make next summer possible, join us at Backpack Bivouac on September 12! It’s an evening dedicated to raising the funds that makes our summer camp program possible. Learn more and get your tickets: https://backpackbivouac2026.auctria.events

08/14/2026

This summer, we had the opportunity to welcome members of our local Lions Clubs to Camp Ho Mita Koda for a special tour of the upgrades their generosity helped make possible.

Through the incredible support of our local Lions Clubs, they helped us apply for a Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) grant and collectively raised 12.5% of the required matching funds. Their efforts helped make it possible for Camp to receive a $141,260 LCIF grant!

After months of hard work from our maintenance team, the majority of these projects were completed before the start of summer camp, including:

* A new traverse climbing wall
* A metal roof and insulation for the Arts & Crafts Building
* A new lake trampoline and aqua swing
* New epoxy kitchen floors
* A new commercial oven

Campers and staff alike LOVED all of these new additions!

A special thank you to Lion Ernie Richmann for his incredible advocacy for Camp Ho Mita Koda and for helping champion this partnership. We are so grateful for your dedication to Camp and the children and families we serve.

Also, a big thanks to Lions Clubs International Foundation and our local Lions Clubs for investing in Camp and helping make these projects possible.

Learn more about LCIF and its work supporting diabetes initiatives: https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/start-our-global-causes/diabetes

08/12/2026

Fall Fest Is Back!

Mark your calendars for Fall Fest 2026 on Saturday, October 17, from 12–4 PM at Camp Ho Mita Koda.

Join us for an afternoon full of fall fun, including hayrides, archery, pumpkin painting, Jungle Terry, face painting, and more! It’s the perfect way to spend a fall day at Camp with family and friends: https://camphomitakoda.org/fall-festival/

Swipe through to check out some pictures from last year's event!

A big thank-you to our incredible sponsors, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s and Cleveland Clinic Children's for helping make this event possible!

Save the date — we can’t wait to see you at Camp!

08/09/2026

A heartfelt thank you to our Annual Sponsor, twiist, for their generous support of Camp Ho Mita Koda!

We're happy to share twiist's collaboration with the FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensor—bringing two systems together with one goal: better support for people living with type 1 diabetes. twiist is available for kids aged 6+: www.twiist.com/

If you're joining us for Family Camp, be sure to stop by and say hello! The twiist team will be on-site sharing information about their insulin pump system and answering questions. We appreciate their commitment to the T1D community and are grateful to have them as part of the Camp Ho Mita Koda family.

Thank you, twiist, for investing in our campers and families!