Freddy’s Friends - Pine Ridge Bible Camp

Q: What is the Summer Camp refund policy?

Before 30 days : All funds are refundable. Up to 14 days : The registration fee is forfeited. Within 14 days : The full camp fee is forfeited. Rollover : Forfeited fees can be rolled over to a future Pine Ridge summer camp session, retreat or applied to a sibling’s registration.

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.

Thank you for making Freddy’s Friends Camps such a beloved experience! Due to high demand and to ensure as many campers as possible can enjoy the fun, we kindly ask that each camper signs up for only one week of camp until April 1, 2025.

Starting April 2, 2025, you are welcome to register your camper for an additional week if spots are still available.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to give every child a chance to be part of Freddy’s Friends!

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

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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.

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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.

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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	$520
Session 4	June 30 - July 4	$520

Ready to Sign Up?

Click the link below to sign up for Freddy’s Friends Camp Today!

Register Online

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.

Camper Fundraiser Info

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Camper Scholarships

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Camper Scholarships

No application is necessary for requests of $40 or less!

Open Application

Here are some things you should know about Summer Camp.

How does check-out work for summer camp?

Most camp sessions will conclude on the last day in the following manner (please check confirmation letter for any exceptions to this schedule). In 2024 Session 8 will have a Friday afternoon check-out ending at 4:30pm.

Check out tables are open starting at 9:15am. For security of the campers being picked up, photo identification is required to match the pick-up information that Pine Ridge gathers. At 9:45 am there will be an optional parents meeting. This meeting will cover highlights of the week and information on other Pine Ridge news. Coffee and sweet rolls will be provided for parents attending the meeting.

At 10:00am the camper awards and videos will be presented at the chapel. Parents are invited and encouraged to attend the closing chapel.

Final dismissal of campers is at 10:30am.

How much money should I send for the Camp Store?

Pine Ridge has a snack shop, camp store, and craft room. On registration day, Pine Ridge places all spending money into a card system. This system keeps money from being lost or stolen. All excess funds are refunded at check out. Typically, $20-$30 will suffice for the camp session depending on what purchases are made.

Typically, campers will go to snack shop twice a day. The snack shop sells a few healthy snacks as well as pop, ice cream, candy, and chips. We also sell Camp T-shirts, sweat shirts, water bottles, Bibles, and flashlights at our camp store. The Camp craft room has many low cost options to choose from. Most of these options are less than $5 in cost.

There will also be a Missions Offering taken that allows campers an opportunity to give to our selected mission project or missionary.

What is the Summer Camp refund policy?

Before 30 days: All funds are refundable.
Up to 14 days: The registration fee is forfeited.
Within 14 days: The full camp fee is forfeited.
Rollover: Forfeited fees can be rolled over to a future Pine Ridge summer camp session, retreat or applied to a sibling’s registration.

What should my child bring?

For Day Camps:

Requested Items:

Weather-appropriate clothing should be worn as the majority of our time will be spent outdoors.
Nature Journal/ colored pencils
lunch
water bottle
Bible

THINGS TO LEAVE AT HOME:

Any weapons
Electronic Devices (we encourage this to happen so campers can focus on building relationships with campers, staff members, and Christ)

For overnight/5 day camps:

T-Shirts
Shorts
Sweatshirt (1-2)
Jeans (1) (1 per day if doing horsemanship)
Rain Jacket/Small umbrella
Modest Swimsuit- one piece or tankini (may need 2 if doing watersports camp)
Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and soap
Towels and wash cloth (1 for beach and 1 for shower)
Athletic shoes (1) (Closed toed shoes needed for battle games, horsemanship, and high adventure activities)
Sandals/Flip-flops (1)
Bible, Pen/pencil, notebook
Sleeping Bag or Sheets & Blankets
Pillow
Small bag to keep/carry personal belongings between activities
Prescription Medications in ORIGINAL CONTAINERS
Spending money (the funds are deposited at check-in to a card system with remaining funds returned at End of Week check-out)

Optional Items:

Sunscreen
Bug spray
Flashlight
Swim Goggles or Ear Plugs
Camera (needed to participate in Photography camp)
Dirty Clothes Bag

THINGS TO LEAVE AT HOME:

Any weapons
Electronic Devices (we encourage this to happen so campers can focus on building relationships with campers, staff members, and Christ)

*Place camper name on the labels of everything!

Any clothes left at Camp and unclaimed by the completion of our summer programs will be given to a worthy charity. Pine Ridge is not responsible for lost or stolen articles.

What time is check-in for Summer Camp?

Most camp check-ins are from 9-10:30 am on the first day of the camp session. A few weeks before the camp session you will also receive a confirmation letter that will give more detailed instructions for our check-in process.

** For our 2024 summer, Session 8 will have an afternoon check-in from 3:30-5:00pm.

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