History

Camp Leo was established by healthcare professionals in 1990 to help support children living with Type 1 diabetes. The three founders of Camp Leo are Marcia Madsen Miller (ARNP, CDE) Jan Weatherly (RN, CDE), and Carol Malcolm (RN). Two of the three founders live with Type 1. Camp Leo offers the only overnight residential camp experience in Western Washington that is exclusively for kids with Type 1 diabetes.

Camp Leo has changed in structure many times over the years, as it is has expanded to serve more children. “Junior” and “Senior” camp sessions serving Elementary and Middle School campers were held either separately or concurrently for most of Camp Leo’s history.

The Leaders in Training (LIT) program was developed in 2007 to help transition graduating campers into leadership roles at camp. In 2013 Camp Leo held its first high school camp to meet the growing need for teen programming.

In 2013 Camp Leo hired its first paid employee, Theresa Klaassen, and is now led by two full-time staff members, Madi Johnson Executive Director, and Tina Ghosn Program Coordinator.

In 2016, we held our first Family Camp Program, continuing our efforts to extend Camp Leo programs to support people with diabetes from diagnosis onward. We also added a 4th summer camp session. Camp Leo now hosts about 300 children each year in grades 3-12.

Camp Leo has been held at several locations throughout it's history:

Black Lake Bible Camp in Thurston County (1989-1992)
Buck Creek Camp in Pierce County (1992-2004)
Panhandle Lake 4-H Camp in Mason County (2005-2011)
Return to Buck Creek Camp, currently owned and managed by Black Diamond Camps (2012 – 2019)
Due to Covid - Virtual Camp online (2020) Camp Leo turned 30 years old.
Black Diamond Camp in Auburn WA (2021 – Present)