KENNEWICK, Wash. — HAPO Credit Union has pledged a $30,000 donation to Kennewick General Hospital’s Foundation to help expand Camp KGH, a three-day summer camp for children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

Started in August 2012, Camp KGH welcomed participants from as far as Walla Walla and Yakima; it was the first day camp of its kind in the Tri-Cities.

“We are overwhelmed but not surprised by HAPO’s generous contribution to Camp KGH,” said Glen Marshall, Kennewick General Hospital CEO, in a news release. “HAPO has a long-standing history of helping to improve the Tri-Cities. This significant gift will change the lives of dozens of young people affected by Type 1 diabetes and will make the Camp’s valuable educational and relationship-building components available to even more children and their parents.”

Camp KGH is designed to teach children about their diagnoses and provide them tools for managing it in a way that doesn’t limit their day-to-day life.

Other reported benefits of the camp include relationship building with peers in similar situations as well as close interaction with mentors and volunteers who can relate to the children’s experiences and offer advice. A variety of activities — such as arts and crafts, team building, swimming, and rock wall climbing—along with educational sessions and speaker presentations complete the experience.