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The

Muscular Dystrophy Association is currently seeking

applications from people who would like to volunteer to

spend a week as counselors at the MDA summer camp in

Rutledge, Ga.

Volunteers

will act as companions to campers (ages 6-21) with

neuromuscular diseases during the camp session to be Aug.

6-11. Counselors must be at least 18 years old and able

to lift a child. They will be called upon to push

wheelchairs and assist with grooming, dressing and

feeding, plus helping kids participate in the fun

activities that come with summer camp, including

swimming, horseback riding, arts and crafts, and

canoeing.

"Camp

is the highlight of the summer for the campers and

volunteers. It's one week of the year when youngsters

with muscle-wasting disorders are able to fully

participate in a wide range of group outdoor activities

that are tailored for their limited mobility," says

Meg Hodges, MDA regional director. "MDA summer camp

has a relaxed atmosphere which allows campers to develop

self-confidence and form lifelong friendships."

More than

4,000 campers are expected to attend MDA camps this year.

With the help of one-on-one volunteers, campers will

enjoy a wide range of sports, recreation and nature

activities.

MDA is a

national voluntary health agency dedicated to finding

treatments and cures for neuromuscular diseases affecting

more than a million Americans. The association receives

no governmental grants, nor does it seek fees from the

families it serves.

For more

information or to volunteer, phone the local MDA office

in Tucker at 770-621-0355 or MDA national headquarters at

800-572-1717. Information about MDA programs and research

advances also is available on MDA's Web site at www.mdausa.org .