About Us
Camp Hertko Hollow is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth who have diabetes.
Dedicated to Children with Diabetes
- Positive camping experience for over 15,000 children with diabetes
- xx Employees
- Serving over 400 children and their families today
A History of Helping Children
Dr. Edward Hertko took a special interest in diabetes after growing up with a diabetic mother and brother. With his medical degree in internal medicine, Dr. Hertko moved to Iowa in 1960, and cared for many patients with diabetes. In 1963, with the help of the Iowa Dep’t of Public Health, Dr. Edward Hertko started the first diabetes support groups in Iowa which, subsequently became the Iowa Diabetes Association in 1968. In 1968, as an affiliated program of the Iowa Diabetes Association Dr. Hertko created a camp for children with diabetes. The first camp session was held that year at the 4-H Camp in Madrid, Iowa and was temporarily called Elm Camp. The campers from that first session voted to officially name the camp “Camp Hertko Hollow” in honor of Dr. Hertko, founder of the camp.
The mission of Camp Hertko Hollow is to:
- Provide an educational and recreational camping program for Iowa’s youth between the ages of 6-17 who have diabetes.
- Promote diabetes management skills.
- Help children gain independence and develop a positive attitude for controlling the disease.