SANDPOINT — Camp STIX, a place for youth who suffer with diabetes, was gifted a $5,000 donation from members of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles in Sandpoint last week.

“Without financial donors like the Eagles, Camp STIX would not be able to continue supporting youth each year,” said camp counselor Alicia Walker.

Walker was presented with the check Saturday by state president Harold Lutes, who chose the nonprofit camp as his charity and wrote the grant though the Aerie and Auxiliary State Charity. Also instrumental in the donation was Jim Smith, Idaho charity chairman, and Mary Leiber, local madame auxiliary president. She is supporting the same charity.

"(The camp) gives the kids a chance to interact with their peers," Lutes said. "The kids get to find out there are others just like them."

He said some juvenile diabetics need up to 25 shots of insulin a day, and with the medical staff and volunteers at the camp, the kids are taught to be as independent as possible.

Camp STIX is an independent, community-based summer camp for children and teens with Type I diabetes. The camp is held at Riverview Bible Camp on the Pend Oreille River near Cusick, Wash. Each year, more than 220 volunteers and 200 campers attend Camp STIX, Walker said.

"To many children, camp is their home away from home," Walker said in an email to the Daily Bee. "Together, we are a huge family that is there to support one another year round, no matter what life hands us."

The camp slogan is, “where youngsters with diabetes are all in the same boat,” Walker said, so the youth who attend have a place to go where they can feel normal.

Each camper’s tuition is around $900, which is discounted when considering the supplies the campers receive while they are there, as well as supplies to take home. Just a bottle of insulin for someone without insurance costs about $400, Walker said. Because of the unique nature of Camp STIX, it costs little under $200,000 to run camp each year. With financial donations, Walker said they are able to grant many full and partial scholarships to campers who are unable to afford the full $900.

"Camp plays such an important role in the lives of many children," Walker said. "I know that I would not be where I am today if I did not have camp in my life when I was a newly diagnosed diabetic. I am so grateful for donors like the Eagles that keep camp alive each summer."

Walker has been at the camp for 12 years, spending seven years as a camper and a couple years as junior counselor. She has been a counselor for three years.  

She explained that each letter of STIX has an important meaning for those involved with the camp.

The S in STIX stands for support. Campers at Camp STIX receive the necessary resources to mentally and physically overcome the everyday challenges of having diabetes. The T in STIX stands for tradition. Each year at camp, Walker said many fun traditions are carried out including the talent show — STIX Got Talent, campfire skits each night, dress up days, camp names and the "best camp tradition," Smudgies.

The I stand for information. Campers receive optimum diabetes care from local practitioners, pharmacists, diabetes educators, dieticians and other health care providers. Campers will have the tools and resources to successfully manage their diabetes while at camp by balancing their activity level with their food and insulin intake. Each day there is an educational session for campers to learn a little bit more about their disease and how to successfully manage it. Finally, the X stands for "X-citement."

"There is never a dull moment at Camp STIX," Walker said. "The summer camp has a ton of activities that will give kids a week of friendship and fun that they will never forget."

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.