In 1977, a three-year-old little boy named Dan Kitchens was diagnosed with cancer. Dan went through almost two years of chemotherapy and radiation treatments before being declared cancer-free. Dan is now a happy, healthy man with three kids and a beautiful wife.
Through Dan’s experience, his mother, Mary Kitchens, realized the very limited recreational opportunities available for children and adults living with serious illnesses and special needs throughout Mississippi. She learned ... Read More
In 1977, a three-year-old little boy named Dan Kitchens was diagnosed with cancer. Dan went through almost two years of chemotherapy and radiation treatments before being declared cancer-free. Dan is now a happy, healthy man with three kids and a beautiful wife.
Through Dan’s experience, his mother, Mary Kitchens, realized the very limited recreational opportunities available for children and adults living with serious illnesses and special needs throughout Mississippi. She learned that other states have accessible camp facilities that provide outdoor and indoor summer camp experiences for people of all abilities. She believed Mississippi should have one, too. She set out on a mission, visiting many facilities in other states, learning what they did right and what they would change if they could. She took many of their best ideas, along with suggestions from existing organizations within Mississippi that serve disability populations, and came up with a dream to build Camp Kamassa, our state’s first and only year-round fully accessible camp facility designed and built especially for Mississippians affected by physical and mental challenges, serious illnesses, and other special needs.
In 2008, Mary formed a board, applied for 501c3 status, and started the Mississippi’s Toughest Kids (MTK) Foundation. In 2013, MTK purchased 326 acres (since we have added an additional 100 acres) and paid the land loan off in 2017. Thanks to tremendous community support and an incredible partnership with a Department of Defense military program called Innovative Readiness Training, MTK broke ground for Camp Kamassa in 2018. After seven years of construction, Camp Kamassa opened its doors summer of 2025!
Our mission is to improve the lives of children and adults with special needs by providing a place to experience the fun, adventure, discovery, educational and therapeutic benefits of traditional camping experiences in a safe, barrier free setting. Activities include swimming, arts and crafts, ceramics, woodworking, dance, music, fishing, canoeing, adaptive sports, fine arts, sensory programs, nature exploration, and life-skills instruction—all designed to empower campers and reflect the meaning of “Kamassa,” the Choctaw word for toughness, perseverance, and never giving up.
Everything about Camp Kamassa is accessible to everyone. The full scope of Camp Kamassa includes 8 duplex cabins, 6 family cabins, an open-air recreation building, a cafeteria, a state-of-the-art infirmary, a multi-use activity building, a chapel, lake, lakeside building, accessible pier, hiking trails, sports field, swimming pool, playground, outdoor classrooms, and more. Future projects include a splashpad, an archery range, high & low ropes courses, indoor rock-climbing wall, treehouse, staff-housing, an amphitheater, and an administration building. In time, the entrance to Camp Kamassa will boast an agri-tourism area with a general store, pumpkin patch, corn maze and Christmas Tree farm.
We are thankful for your support in making dreams come true for kids and adults affected by special needs.
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