Camp Odayin

Camp Odayin provides fun, safe and supportive camp experiences and community building opportunities for young people with heart disease and their families.

Founded in 2001 by Executive Director Sara Meslow, Camp Odayin serves young people with heart disease and their families. The name ‘Odayin’ comes from the Ojibwe word for ‘heart’. Camp Odayin is the premier camp for young people with heart disease in the Midwestern region of the United States. 

Kids Play. Worries Rest. Fun Happens.

Summer Camp enables children with heart disease from grade one to 11 to enjoy traditional camp activities such as swimming, boating, arts and crafts, and horseback riding in a medically supervised environment over a five-day and four-night experience. Volunteer cardiologists, nurses and counselors help to run the camp at a two awesome camp locations, one in Crosslake, MN and a second in Elkhorn, WI.

Family Camp affords the parents, siblings and grandparents of children with heart disease the opportunity to have a weekend of camp fun along with their ‘heart child.’ Families interact with others who face similar health challenges and hear from experts in the field of pediatric cardiology.

Winter Camp offers campers grades 1-11 the opportunity to connect during the winter months. Campers take part in cold weather activities such as sledding and broomball over a three-day weekend in February

The Moms Retreat is a time for moms of young people with heart disease to connect for support, education and empowerment. The Saturday to Sunday retreat includes meals, lodging, optional spa and yoga activities, and fabulous guest speakers in Stillwater, MN and Lake Geneva, WI. 

Dads Day is a day of outdoor recreation in Prior Lake, MN to build camaraderie and connection between dads of young people with heart disease.

Our programs are designed to instill a sense of belonging and foster confidence in young people who may be isolated and timid due to their health issues.  Programs are operated at partner campsites with the invaluable support of volunteer counselors, nurses, cardiologists and those personally impacted by childhood heart disease.