My son Jared has attended Freddy’s Friends camp for several years now. There are some really great people that are working and volunteering throughout the week to make it a very special time for him. He has been showing me his camp cabin photo for weeks now letting me know he is ready to go to camp again this summer!
Sue
Camper Parent
Freddy’s Friends Camp — Summer Camp for Individuals with Special Needs
Freddy’s Friends Camp at Pine Ridge is an extra special camp opportunity that provides a safe, fun, and interactive experience for youth and adults with developmental disabilities. Pine Ridge is one of the few Christian Camps in Michigan who offers this type of camp experience to campers with developmental disabilities. Freddy’s Friends is designed to embrace each camper’s physical, social, mental, and spiritual capabilities and allows them to participate at their own level.
Camp for people with Down Syndrome, autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, cerebral palsy, physical challenges, and other disabilities
Camp is for you, too! We are proud to offer an inclusive, residential camp environment for people will special needs, challenges and disabilities. Read more about eligibility to learn if camp may be right for your loved one. Campers range in age from 16-70.
Eligibility
Physical Ability:
Each camper must be ambulatory and able to move from place to place with little to no one-on-one assistance. Campers should also be able to adequately communicate daily living needs and desires (either verbally or non-verbally). Campers must need little to no assistance with eating/drinking, showering, dressing/grooming, and toilet needs or menstrual care. The age range of our campers is approximately 16-70.
Medical Needs:
Campers must have medical needs that can be met by staff trained in basic first aid. One-on-one care or supervision is limited and not possible at all times. We are unable to accept campers with communicable diseases that are easily transmitted during regular camp activities. We also do not accept seizure active campers or campers who require frequent monitoring, care, or assistance by a trained health professional.
Social Ability:
Campers must be able to willingly integrate into and participate at their own level in our camp setting and camp activities in a non-disruptive manner, including a group environment for housing, eating, instruction, and recreation. Campers must not display harmful or aggressive behavior toward self or others. Campers must also be able to communicate at a level that our staff can comprehend and that the camper will benefit from our learning activities.
All potential campers for the Freddy’s Friends program must be interviewed by Pine Ridge to be accepted into the program. Once accepted, the interview is not necessary again unless the physical, behavioral, or mental status of the camper changes. The interview is typically at the Pine Ridge Office and will take approximately 30 minutes. Please email danni@pineridgecamp.com to arrange for the interview.
Freddy's Friends
| Session | Dates | Costs |
| Session 1 | June 10-14 | $505 |
| Session 4 | July 1-4 | $435 |
Ready to Sign Up?
Click the link below to sign up for Freddy’s Friends Camp Today!
Summer Camp Discounts
Pine Ridge strives to make camp as affordable as possible. However, we realize that families sometimes still need additional support. The first thing to consider is participating in one of our Camper Fundraisers. We have two Food sale fundraisers with dates in March and April, and we also have a Key Card fundraiser that can be done at anytime. With much gratitude to many friends of Pine Ridge, we are able to offer generous scholarships to help those that can not participate in a fundraiser. We have made a $40 scholarship request simple this year as a way to offset the significant price increase due to inflation. This simple, no application, request expires on April 30.