COEUR d'ALENE - Camille the camel was a most incongruous sight.

Shaggy-haired and good-natured, she was six months old and already weighed 400 pounds. Posing for photographs on the corner of Fourth and Wallace, prancing through the parking lot at Franklin's Hoagies, Camille was unquestionably the center of attention on Friday.

"It's been a show-stopper on the corner. People are just stopping, pulling out their cell phones," said Kristina L. Nicholas Anderson, the program administrator and therapist at Diversified Social Services, Inc., in Athol. "People have been pretty generous with donations."

Camille and her buddy, Shrek, a miniature horse, dropped by local businesses to mix and mingle with curious onlookers.

But the critters had a more serious mission to perform: raising money for the uninsured patient fund at Diversified Social Services and Dirne Community Health Center.

The special event, called "Camille in the Community," visited spots in Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene - from Aging Better In-Home Care on Seltice Way to US Bank on Government Way.

"All money raised will stay local, to help the local uninsured," Nicholas Anderson said.

Diversified Social Services provides therapy, consulting, equine-assisted psychotherapy and animal-assisted therapy for North Idaho patients. Nicholas Anderson works with nine horses in her equine therapy program, she said.

The Dirne center served more than 10,000 patients in 2010. Its services include medical care for all ages, preventative care, immunizations and minor surgical procedures.

Hit hard by the recession, many businesses cannot afford to insure their employees, Nicholas Anderson explained. Moreover, changes in Medicaid coverage have made it more difficult for people to secure health care.

Through the uninsured patient fund, Diversified and Dirne can bring health care to those without medical coverage - in many cases, those who need it most.

"I am uninsured. I was denied by Medicaid," said Jeannene Christ of Cute as a Bug Mobile Petting Zoo, Camille's handler. She needs surgery for possible thyroid cancer, she said, so the issue hits especially close to home.

Christ donated her time on Friday, spending close to nine hours on the fundraising trail. Camille's presence drew a crowd.

Most residents were caught by surprise when they saw a camel in North Idaho.

"It's weird," said 12-year-old Harli Mills. She had seen a camel at the North Idaho fair before, but never in midtown Coeur d'Alene.

"(Camille) really is affectionate," Nicholas Anderson said. "She likes to give kisses, believe it or not."