Why I Never Gave Up on Camp Kamassa
Written by: Mary Kitchens, Founder and Board Member of Mississippi’s Toughest Kids Foundation-Camp Kamassa
As the founder of Mississippi’s Toughest Kids Foundation Camp Kamassa, I have spent decades watching families affected by serious illnesses, disabilities, and special needs search for opportunities that many of us take for granted—places where their children and loved ones can simply belong, have fun, and experience the joy of camp. In April 2025, Camp Kamassa, located on 426 acres in Copiah County (Central Mississippi), officially opened its doors. I am proud to say that Mississippi’s first and only fully accessible therapeutic camp welcomed that first year more than 1,000 campers, family members, and caregivers from communities across our state; proving that the need for this facility has always been far greater than many realized.
Year-round, Camp Kamassa welcomes partner groups serving individuals with adult and pediatric cancer, brain and spinal cord injuries, sickle cell disease, muscular dystrophy, heart conditions, spina bifida, physical and mental challenges, and many other special needs. For these campers, Camp Kamassa is far more than a destination—it is a place where barriers disappear, confidence grows, friendships are formed, and families find respite and hope. There is simply no other facility like it in Mississippi.
While Camp Kamassa is open, our work is far from finished. Important projects remain to be completed, and ongoing operational support is essential to keeping camp affordable for the many nonprofit partner groups we serve. Every donation helps us maintain accessible facilities, provide quality programming, and keep costs low. I am deeply grateful to the thousands of Mississippians whose generosity helped build Camp Kamassa. Today, I am asking for your continued support. Together, we can continue to ensure that this extraordinary place remains a source of hope, healing, and opportunity for generations of Mississippi families. Camp Kamassa exists because people believed in a dream. With your help, that dream will continue to grow and serve those who need it most.
To learn more about Camp Kamassa, visit www.campkamassa.com
How One Person Can Change the World.
Written by: Tanya Mohawk, Executive Director of Mississippi’s Toughest Kids Foundation-Camp Kamassa
One woman, not an ordinary woman, set out on a mission decades ago that would change the recreational landscape for individuals and families living with special needs throughout Mississippi and beyond. Mary Kitchens is her name, and she is now 81 years old. When Mary was in her early 30’s, her then 3-year old son, Dan, was diagnosed with cancer. Dan endured months of radiation and chemotherapy before being declared cancer free. When Dan was 10 years old, he attended Camp Rainbow, the state’s first camp week for children affected by cancer. It changed his life. Mary’s too. The camp was held at a campground in Pinola, Mississippi. Over the years the camp grew and moved to a different campground, and then another, and another….none were accessible for their campers, many of whom had mobility limitations. Mary wondered if other non-profit organizations that host camp weeks for children and adults with special needs were having the same problem here in Mississippi. The answer was a resounding “Yes”. Mary, in her wisdom, believed there needed to be one fully accessible place where Camp Rainbow and other camps like it could host their camps. She recalls praying one day, telling God someone should design and build a place just for campers with serious illnesses, physical and mental challenges, and other special needs. I suppose God knew he could trust Mary with a seemingly impossible task, because as she says, “God told me, ‘That somebody is YOU; get up and do it’”. And so, she did.
In 2008 she formed a board and applied for the 501c3 for the Mississippi’s Toughest Kids (MTK) Foundation. She started selling $15 cookbooks and when people saw and heard her passion, they joined in. In 2013 MTK found land in Copiah County, paid it off in 2017, and construction of Camp Kamassa began in 2018. After seven intense years of construction and some serious divine intervention, the Grand Opening was held on April 4, 2025…..Mary’s 80th birthday. Since opening, Camp Kamassa has served over 1,800 campers, their families, and caretakers.
If you are wondering about the name Kamassa, it is a Choctaw word that means to be tough, or to persevere under difficult circumstances. That word perfectly describes our campers, and it also describes the determined and relentless Mary Kitchens.
