Camp New Light formally known as Camp New Hope was founded in 1977 by the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia as the "Sickle Cell Retreat." Between 1977 and 1991, the retreats were attended by entire families and held at various locations across the state. In addition, the Sickle Cell Foundation collaborated with eight other organizations focused on children with chronic health conditions. The collaborative worked over four years engaged in the planning and developing of a specialized camp, Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, GA. Camp Twin Lakes opened in 1993 with the capacity to serve 385 campers, and the name of the camp for children with Sickle Cell Disease was changed to "Camp New Hope." "Camp New Hope" was coined by one of the youths attending the camp in 1993. Camp New Hope strives to provide visions of hope for children living with Sickle Cell Disease by utilizing counselors and other staff living with Sickle Cell Disease and succeeding in life. Though a medically supervised camp, Camp New Hope focuses its efforts on the children, not the disease, as a deliberate effort to help campers experience and understand that though impacted by, they are not defined by the disease they live with. Camp New Hope utilizes a team of volunteers to ensure campers' health and safety and engage them in activities that allow them to enjoy being children. The medical hut is staffed 24 hours a day with pediatric hematologists, pediatricians, and nurses. An orientation is provided by the camp's medical director for medical personnel with limited sickle cell disease experience. In addition to pediatricians, Camp New Hope also utlizes adult volunteer physician (emergency physicians, internists, and OB/GYNs) to introduce older adolescents to adult physicians and to participate in activities and programming that focus on transitioning from pediatric to adult health care. Supervision is provided by volunteer counselors, some of whom are living with sickle cell disease and serve as mentors for the youth. Camp New Hope maintains a counselor to child ratio of 3:1. In addition to counselors, the camp is staffed by a camp director, camp coordinator, lead female counselor, and lead male counselor. The camp facility, Camp Rock Eagle (operated by the University of Georgia) provides program and activity staff and food staff. Additional activities are provided by a variety of community partners, including Uhuru Dance Company, Team Blue Tennis, Georgia Micro Enterprise Network, and Pro Tools Entertainment.