Results Demonstrate Successful Operation of Overnight Summer Camps with Use of Layered, Evidence-Based Strategies

Martinsville, IN — August 26, 2020 Today the American Camp Association (ACA) celebrates the release of a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that identifies how four overnight summer camps in Maine were able to operate safely and successfully without the spread of COVID-19 this summer.

Integral to these camps' success was employing a multilayered nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPI) strategy, reflecting adherence to measures outlined in ACA's educational resource, a Field Guide for Camps on Implementation of CDC Guidance. Each of the NPIs provides a limited layer of protection, but when implemented collectively in a consistent and diligent manner by a camp's entire community — campers, staff members, and camp parents/guardians — they create a culture of compliance that can prevent and mitigate transmission of disease.

"This study of more than 1000 camp attendees shows promising data that overnight camps can operate safely in the era of COVID-19," said lead study author Laura Blaisdell, MD/MPH, FAAP. "With this foundational information we look forward to ACA convening wider studies investigating the experience of more diverse camp experiences this year."

President and CEO of the American Camp Association Tom Rosenberg said, "While safety was the foundation for a successful summer, the camp experience teaches children social-emotional skills for 21^st-century learning and leadership. These skills are paramount to persevering in a time of pandemic and beyond."

Dr. Blaisdell highlights the four participant camps did not restrict attendance from any part of the country or globally. The study's findings demonstrate that a multilayered public health prevention and mitigation strategy in an overnight camp setting can identify and control COVID-19 transmission, regardless of the prevalence of the virus in campers and staff arriving from various communities.

Rosenberg emphasized the importance of this new report, stating: "This summer, more than 3,000 day and overnight camps ran, serving kids and families in need of fun and engaging time outdoors with friends. Camp provided much-needed time away from technology, with opportunities to thrive socially, emotionally, and physically in a year marked with isolation and unprecedented challenges for every family. Camp was truly the unsung hero of summer 2020 for every kid able to attend."

Rosenberg followed this statement with exciting news about ACA's upcoming four research studies focused on camp practices and programs that continued to provide safe and engaging camp experiences this summer by following ACA's educational resource, a Field Guide for Camps on Implementation of CDC Guidance. "Looking ahead to school this fall, the upcoming research will support educators and after-school programs adhering to ACA's Field Guide's suggested practices. Applying multiple layers of NPI's and leaning into a culture of compliance, even without testing and bubbling, can help any school or organization that brings children together while mitigating spread of the virus."

In closing, Rosenberg said, "The primary goal of this research is to identify effective practices so that more camps will offer in-person day and overnight programming for summer 2021, ensuring children receive the life-changing camp experiences they need and deserve. Today's report is positive news for the coming year, and the ACA would like to thank Laura Blaisdell, MD/MPH, FAAP, et. al for this landmark study."

About American Camp Association
The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national organization with more than 12,000 individual members and 3,100 member camps. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education, and professional development, and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accredits approximately 2,400 diverse US camps. ACA Accreditation provides public evidence of a camp's voluntary commitment to the health, safety, risk management, and overall well-being of campers and staff. For more information, visit ACAcamps.org or call 800-428-2267.

ACA recognizes the tragic impact the coronavirus has had on the field of camp. Our current estimates indicate that more than 19 million people who are traditionally served by camps did not have the chance for a camp experience this summer. So many camps are struggling to survive until next summer.

ACA has been working hard to make the critical financial relief needed by so many camps a reality, especially as the next federal relief bill begins to take shape. The following initiatives are a part of the current proposals connected to the next federal relief effort, however details could certainly change based on the timing and nature of the ongoing negotiations between both houses of Congress and the White House.

Maximizing PPP Loans

According to our research, the vast majority of camps were not able to use the summer date field added by the Treasury on April 27 to calculate their maximum loan amounts because of a technicality. Once lending institutions filed their initial Form 1502, loans could not be amended to take advantage of the new date field, effectively blocking camps from realizing the benefit of the additional date field.

According to the most recent reports, the next relief bill includes language that would allow any institution to modify their original PPP loan to take advantage of changes in guidance, regardless of whether or not lending institutions have filed a Form 1502. In many cases, this would allow camps to double their original PPP loan amounts.

Second Draw on PPP Loans

A provision is included in the current draft of the next relief bill to allow businesses with fewer than 300 employees that can demonstrate a 50-percent loss of revenue over a similar period last year to be allowed a second PPP loan. While some of the details may change in negotiations related to the bill, there appears to be bipartisan support for some version of this provision.

Access to Working Capital

ACA continues to push to have camps included in other potential financial vehicles that could supply the critical working capital needed to bridge to the summer of 2021. While it is unclear from negotiations what form this will take, following are instruments under current consideration:

• Main Street Lending Program: On July 17, the Federal Reserve opened its Main Street Lending Program to nonprofits. ACA advocacy efforts decreased the minimum requirements to 10 employees, making the program accessible to a wider number of camps. Details on this program can be found in our recent ACA Now article entitled Camps May Qualify for Main Street Lending Program.
• Economic Injury Disaster Loans: The SBA is authorized to issue EIDL loans up to $2 million. These loans were reauthorized for nonagricultural uses in June. However, they have been effectively capped at $150,000 since being made available again. ACA is working to have the maximum loan size increased to the original $2 million.
• Childcare Relief Funding: While many camps are not regulated at the state level as childcare facilities, ACA is working to have camps included in additional funding to support the ongoing need to help working parents as many schools are moving to hybrid classes to start the school year.

J-1 Visa Exemption

ACA continues to press to have the Camp Counselor J-1 Visitor Exchange program and the camp portion of Summer Work Travel exempted from the current Executive Order suspending many nonimmigrant visas so the recruitment process for 2021 participants can begin without interruption.

State-Level Relief Funding

ACA is developing a toolkit to help camps advocate for state-level COVID-19 support funding. Many states still have COVID-response funds available from the CARES Act. Also, additional funding may be allocated in the next relief bill. The new toolkit will support camps in advocating for states to use this funding to provide relief for camps that were significantly impacted this summer or to fund camps that are supporting schools this fall.

Photo courtesy of iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images.

Martinsville, IN—July 31, 2020 Today’s Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) study of a single summer camp’s Covid-19 infections tells an incomplete story. To better understand summer camp safety in 2020, start with a clear understanding that thousands of camps are successfully operating this summer.

"Camps are at the forefront of child safety during this pandemic," said Tom Rosenberg, American Camp Association chief executive officer. "When camps consistently use the innovative, multilayered safety strategy outlined in our Field Guide for Operating Camps in COVID-19, we see that many of them minimize infections as well as the spread of COVID-19. However, infections increase if people become lax or inconsistent. The most important safety layer is a culture of compliance."

The American Camp Association (ACA) engaged leading experts to develop educational resources for camps to run safe in-person programming for summer 2020. This included the Field Guide for Camps in COVID-19, developed by an independent and external expert panel of specialists in pediatric medicine, infectious disease management, biological safety, industrial hygiene, organizational design, and more.

The early released version of the CDC study, "SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Infection Among Attendees of an Overnight Camp — Georgia, June 2020," only looked at what happened when a single camp did not implement all of the elements of the ACA Field Guide and the CDC’s guidance. "But more than 3,000 day and overnight camps are running in-person programming for children across the US this summer," shared Rosenberg. "We have so many success stories, from overnight camps who have not had a single infection, to day camps who have safely managed large groups of children every day, to virtual camps who made a profound difference for medically vulnerable children.

By the end of this summer, millions of kids will have benefited from positive and safe experiences at camps. The ACA can now answer:

• What have we learned that we can apply to kindergarten, to 12th grade, and after-school programs?
• What have been parents' top worries? How have camps met their concerns?
• As schools decide between in-person classes and virtual learning, what have camps discovered about the pros and cons of both formats?
• How will schools and extracurricular activities need to evolve to help pandemic kids? 
• What sort of programming best counteracts the social, emotional, and physical damage to these "pandemic children"?
• The evolution of children: 9/11 kids, to digital Gen-Zers, to COVID kids
• Looking ahead to Camp 2021 — what should we expect? 

The ACA serves as a leading voice for child development and will soon have significant data to share. This summer, ACA launched several landmark studies to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on children, families, and camps. Study findings will be available later this fall.

"Perhaps the most important story of Camp 2020 is the least-reported story," said Rosenberg. "Camp directors reported that many children arrived feeling anxious, out of shape, or disconnected. They desperately sought — and ultimately found — the belonging, independence, and resilience they have needed for months. If schools are going to be successful this fall, they must act on what we’ve learned at camp this summer."

About American Camp Association
The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national organization with more than 12,000 individual members and 3,100 member camps. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education, and professional development, and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accredits approximately 2,400 diverse US camps. ACA Accreditation provides public evidence of a camp’s voluntary commitment to the health, safety, and overall well-being of campers and staff. For more information, visit ACAcamps.org or call 800-428-2267.

When the Tax Cut and Jobs Act became law in 2017, many camp professionals were surprised to learn that their federal taxes would be going up, and for unexpected reasons. Camps that were subject to federal income tax discovered that all of the costs associated with preparing and serving the food that they routinely provide to their staff during mealtimes at camp had suddenly become taxable, resulting in a significantly higher tax bill at the end of the year.

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act included a change to the tax treatment of all costs associated with meals provided to employees by their employer. They were now only 50 percent deductible, when they had been fully deductible before. This change was made with the intent to raise revenue to offset other tax cuts. Meals provided to employees were considered “perks” — not essential. While taking aim at the high-end corporate cafeteria or hi-tech company sushi bar, our lawmakers inadvertently included counselor meals in this new tax revenue pot.

As camp managers know, food service is often the second highest expense for most camp operations, usually second only to staffing costs. With low camper-to-staff ratios, the unintended consequence of the bill was a significant federal tax increase to many camps, often in the five- or six- figure range. Even worse, the non-deductible amount was set to increase to 100 percent at the end of 2025, doubling the tax hit to camps.

Once this became known, our ACA Government Affairs Committee and our DC advocacy team engaged with Congress and the Administration to explain the manifest unfairness of this change, and to seek a fix to what was now written into the tax code. They explained that as a matter of program design, the majority of camps rely on their staff to provide adequate supervision of their campers during mealtimes. Camper supervision and cabin management during meals are critical functions within the job description of a camp counselor. Even if they wanted to, many camp leaders could not excuse staff from meals and remain within state-mandated supervision ratios for youth-serving organizations. Further, even if staff were allowed time away during meals, they may not have had the ability to find meals within reasonable break times given the remote locations of many camps.

At first, our advocates were told that there was no fix to this problem other than passing a new law through Congress that corrected the code and provided an exception for camps. That is among the most difficult things to achieve in any Congress, and was a virtual impossibility given our current state of politics. Our team did not take “no” for an answer and pursued an aggressive advocacy campaign to confirm that camps and counselors were never considered when this particular tax increase was designed, and that the impact on camps was unforeseen and unintended. With that information in hand, our advocates held countless meetings with members of Congress of both parties, Treasury Department staff, members of the White House Domestic Policy Council, and many others to request that a creative solution be found to correct this manifestly unfair outcome.

Our arguments proved to be persuasive, as late last week, the US Treasury Department released new guidance regarding the meals and entertainment expenses included in the Tax Cut and Jobs Act. As a result of the persistent advocacy efforts of the American Camp Association over the past two years, the Treasury Department is now allowing camps to use a slightly different section of the US code — a section that was not altered in the 2017 rewrite of the tax laws — to continue to be able to fully deduct all costs associated with meals provided to camp staff. In fact, they have issued written “guidance” that confirms this, using meals provided by camps to counselors and other staff as a specific written example. As long as campers consume more than 50 percent of the food provided to staff and campers, all expenses related to food and beverage provided to employees is fully deductible for camps.

The new guidance is retroactive to December 31, 2017, when the original tax reform bill was enacted. Any camps that paid additional federal tax due to the limited deductibility of staff meals should consult their tax professional about filing amended returns to receive a refund for this portion of the taxes paid. This is a huge accomplishment for ACA, and we are grateful to our Government Affairs Committee members and our DC advocates for their tireless work in achieving this amazing result.

The grant will help strengthen and expand how summer camp experiences support learning and growth among children and youth.

Indianapolis (Jan 24, 2020) – Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded a $991,800 grant to the American Camp Association (ACA) to explore and develop systems that support camp professionals in promoting positive youth development through camp experiences. Specifically, this project is focused on building systems that support program quality assessment and continuous improvement. Program quality refers to the unique ways campers experience camp, from how they engage in activities to their interactions with camp staff and peers. ACA will work in partnership with the Forum for Youth Investment’s David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality (Weikart Center) to identify the features of a quality camp experience, then design systems that support camps in their ongoing efforts to improve these features through continuous quality improvement.

The systems of focus for this project include: 1) a peer-led system of program quality assessment and coaching; 2) a community-of-practice approach to knowledge-sharing among camp professionals; and 3) a new program quality toolkit, which will include interactive workbooks, online and in-person training, and key messaging for camps to use to share the value of program quality efforts. Together, these components will complement ACA’s accreditation program, which is a separate, yet parallel, peer-led system focused on health, safety, and risk-management practices at camp.

The Weikart Center is a key partner in this project. For more than a decade, the Weikart Center’s program quality assessment (PQA) tools and supports have been used to build continuous improvement systems in youth-serving organizations across the country and internationally. Other contributors include American Institutes of Research, the University of Utah, and several volunteer committees of camp professionals to ensure the work is accessible and relevant across a vast and diverse camp community.

“We are honored to receive funding from Lilly Endowment so that we can partner with the Forum for Youth Investment’s Weikart Center in support of high-quality camp experiences for all children and youth,” said Tom Rosenberg, ACA’s president/CEO. “This generous grant builds on a longtime partnership with the Endowment that began with ACA’s first national outcomes study in 2004. With this support, ACA will expand the ways it supports camp professionals and their efforts to foster learning and growth through summer camp experiences.”

About ACA
The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable, national nonprofit with more than 12,000 individual members and 3,200 member camps. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education, and professional development, and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accredits approximately 2,500 diverse camps nationally. Accreditation provides public evidence of a camp’s voluntary commitment to the health, safety, and overall well-being of both campers and staff. For more information, visit https://www.ACAcamps.org/.

About the Forum for Youth Investment’s Weikart Center
The Forum for Youth Investment is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan “action tank” committed to changing the odds that all children and youth are ready for college, work, and life. The Forum connects leaders to ideas, services, and networks that can help them make more intentional decisions that are good for young people. In 2008, the Forum created the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality to strengthen youth programs and adult practice by building the capacity of public and private agencies to implement continuous quality-improvement systems that simultaneously foster professional learning and whole-child development. The Weikart Center’s research-based core products and services are currently used in over 4,700 out-of-school time settings nationally and internationally and form the basis for quality improvement systems in over 135 publicly and privately funded systems.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

Photo courtesy of Camp Skylemar in Naples, Maine.

Martinsville, IN (January 14, 2019) – Communities nourish camps, and camps change lives. In an effort to strengthen community-camp bonds nationwide, American Camp Association (ACA)—a community of over 3,100 camps and over 12,000 camp professionals—has partnered with JCC Association of North America. Their aim is to fortify the health, safety, and risk management of JCC’s network of camps and facilitate all JCC Association-affiliated day and overnight camps achieving American Camp Association Accredited Camp® status by 2023.

As youth-serving organizations, ACA and JCC Association understand the value and importance of educational, developmental, and safe camp experiences. The ultimate objective of the partnership between ACA and JCC Association is to strengthen their collective work serving children, youth, and adults through positive, transformative camp experiences for all.

"Camp is one of the key entry points of families into JCC . . . and therefore its impact extends far beyond 7–10 weeks of summer camp," said Aaron Greenberg, vice president of camp engagement at JCC Association of North America. "When we help make our camps better, we strengthen the community as a whole—throughout the year and for many years. JCCs often engage their families on a year-round basis, using camp as the first point of entry. Becoming ACA-accredited demonstrates the excellence that each of our JCCs and camps continually strive for."

The partnership serves as public recognition that ACA-accredited JCC camp programs provide safer and higher-quality experiences. Eventually, the aim is for 100-percent ACA accreditation for JCC camp programs.

"For over 70 years the American Camp Association Accredited Camp® designation has been a parent’s only assurance in all 50 states that a camp meets the foundational standards for camps in the US," said Tom Rosenberg, ACA president/CEO.

Aside from the direct impact on ACA and JCC Association camps, the organizations also hope the partnership serves as a blueprint for other youth-serving organizations. The future goal is to encourage camp growth and alignment focused on ACA standards in support of health, safety, and risk management for the benefit of children, youth, and adults everywhere.

More information can be found on ACA's website.

About JCC Association of North America

JCC Association of North America leads and connects the JCC Movement, advancing and enriching North American Jewish life. With 1.5 million people walking through the doors of JCCs each week, the JCC Movement represents the largest platform of Jewish engagement on the continent. JCC Association is the convening organization of this powerful network, partnering with JCCs and camps to bring together the collective power and knowledge of the JCC Movement—which represents 6,000 full-time skilled professionals and more than 32,000 part-time seasonal staff—and supporting them as we enhance and strengthen Jewish life throughout North America together. Learn more at JCCA.org, or on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About American Camp Association

The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national organization with more than 12,000 individual members and 3,100 member camps. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education, and professional development, and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accredits approximately 2,500 diverse camps nationally. Accreditation provides public evidence of a camp’s voluntary commitment to the health, safety, and overall well-being of both campers and staff. For more information, visit ACAcamps.org.

Photo courtesy of Camp Tawonga in Groveland, CA.

Recently, we have decided to move our ACA regional community* initiatives from Facebook Pages to Facebook Groups.  Here are the reasons why:

Facebook Group Pros

• Efficiently communicate with Group members via chat, email, wall posts, messages, shared documents, and events.
• Groups provide a platform curated towards communities/associations.  This allows for easier internal communications.
• Common connections allow you to view your specific network.

For more reasons, view these sources

• Social Skinny: Facebook Pages Vs. Facebook Groups
• Facebook: Organic Reach on Facebook
• Hubspot: How We Grew Our Organic Reach on Facebook
• Sprout Social: Facebook Algorithm

How to Join

All groups are linked under the parent ACA Facebook Page umbrella.  To join, you can find the full list of groups on our singular ACA Facebook Page under “Groups," or click on your specific region and click “+ Join Group” to be added. 

• Chesapeake
• Evergreen
• Great Rivers
• Heart of the South
• Indiana
• Keystone Regional
• Michigan
• Northern California
• Northland
• Ohio
• Oregon Trail
• Rocky Mountain
• Southeastern
• Southern California/Hawaii
• Southwest
• St. Louis
• Texoma
• Upstate New York
• Virginias
• Wisconsin

*This migration does not include ACA affiliate office Facebook Pages. 

Photo by ViewApart/iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN — CampDoc, the leading electronic health record system for camps, is pleased to announce a three-year research partnership with American Camp Association (ACA) and the Association of Camp Nursing (ACN) to improve health and safety at camp through strategic research efforts.

As a Research Partner, CampDoc continues its shared commitment with ACA and ACN to enhance education for camps, to offer significant insights to reduce illnesses and injuries, and to address other health-related issues across all camp settings.

"We are committed to providing research-informed resources for camps and families that improve the health and safety of our camp community," said Tom Rosenberg, President and CEO of the American Camp Association. "We’re delighted to partner with CampDoc and the ACN to develop camp-related illness and injury insights, benchmarks, and tools."

CampDoc has collaborated on multiple camp health research studies, with publications in prominent medical journals and presentations at conferences for leading medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine, the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine, and the Pediatric Academic Societies.

This research partnership will allow CampDoc to leverage its extensive data repository to create camp-related illness and injury insights and benchmarks. Working with the Healthy Camps Committee, all three partners will use this information to develop additional tools and practices to promote improved health and safety for camps.

"Our work with ACA to develop the Healthy Camp Toolbox, sponsored by Markel Insurance Company, is very beneficial for camp directors and camp nurses to help address health and safety issues at camp," said Tracey Gaslin, Executive Director at the Association of Camp Nursing.  "Adding CampDoc as our Research Partner will greatly expand our insights and the tools we can develop for camp health staff."

The CampDoc platform allows camps to instantly access vital camper and staff health information, including allergies, medications, and immunization records, as well as track medication administration, and record illnesses and injuries electronically.

"We’ve seen the impact that our electronic health record has had on reducing risk and improving efficiency at camp," said Dr. Michael Ambrose, founder and CEO of CampDoc.  "In partnership with ACA and ACN, we’re continuing our mission to improve health and safety at camp, giving camp directors and camp nurses access to important research."

About CampDoc
CampDoc, a division of DocNetwork, is an international, comprehensive electronic health record system, offering solutions to improve efficiency and maximize safety in local camp communities.  A collaborative effort between camp doctors, nurses and camp directors, CampDoc helps summer camps manage health forms, allergies, medications, and illness and injury tracking.  CampDoc also offers online registration, travel and emergency medical protection, emergency text message alerts, discounted camp medical supplies, and one-way parent emails for children at summer camp. For more information about CampDoc and web-based health management, please visit www.campdoc.com or call 734-636-1000.

About American Camp Association
The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national organization with more than 12,000 individual members and 3,100 member camps. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education and professional development and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accredits approximately 2,400 diverse camps nationally. Accreditation provides public evidence of a camp’s voluntary commitment to the health, safety, and overall well-being of both campers and staff. For more information, visit ACAcamps.org.

About Association Camp Nursing
The Association of Camp Nursing (ACN) is a professional nursing organization working toward healthier camp communities by supporting the practice of camp nursing. Members and associate members of ACN are nurses, camp directors, camp leaders, organizations, and individuals interested in camp health services. The ACN releases a quarterly publication, CompassPoint, as a valued resource, and holds an annual Camp Nurse Symposium for timely educational opportunities and networking with other camp health professionals. For more information, visit www.campnurse.org.

Join the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation (CCF) and the American Camp Association (ACA) on a summer-long scavenger hunt to locate automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in camps across the nation. Campers and staff are encouraged to join this national initiative to emphasize the importance of using an AED during a cardiac emergency.

Participate in the AED Scavenger Hunt

The CCF Camp AED Scavenger Hunt is fun and easy! Find an AED at your camp and take a selfie with the AED. Then post the photo with the hashtag #mycampAED, along with the camp name and AED location, on social media outlets (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).

AEDs Can Save Lives

The CCF Camp AED Scavenger Hunt highlights the importance of emergency preparedness and early defibrillation in an adverse cardiac event. Quick action and knowing the location of the nearest AED is key to survival when seconds count.

Facts to Know

• Approximately 7,000 children, age 18 or younger, experience a cardiac arrest every year.*
• Cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest in children, especially among young athletes.*
• Two-thirds of sudden cardiac arrest deaths occur without warning or prior indications of heart disease.**
• Immediate CPR and early defibrillation with an AED can double a victim’s chance of survival.*

CCF continues to work with Members of Congress and federal agencies to increase awareness of the symptoms, risk factors, and family health history component of cardiomyopathy, as well as the risk of sudden cardiac arrest when cardiomyopathy is not diagnosed. CCF encourages you to reach out to your congressional representative to alert them of this important issue and to ask for their support of research funding and public education programs.

* American Heart Association
** Heart Rhythm Society

Download the AED Camp Hunt Flyer