The Moses E. Cheeks Slam Dunk for Diabetes Basketball Camp, which includes coaches from The Chicago Bulls Training Academy, will take place from 9 a.m. to noon June 23 to 25 at Franciscan Omni Health and Fitness-Schererville, 221 U.S. 41.
The free program is offered for children and young adults, aged 5 to 18, who have diabetes. Diabetes educators from Omni and from Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Michigan City, Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Hammond, Franciscan Medical Specialists and from other area hospitals, also will be on hand.
The camps, which began in 2005, teach fundamentals of living with diabetes and offer a place where participants gain confidence in a safe, structured and supportive atmosphere, according to the camp website. The program is designed to teach participants the relationship between food, exercise and insulin, as well as basketball skills. It also is designed to teach campers how sports, illnesses and stress affect blood sugar levels, how to make corrections to insulin intake and to demonstrate that diabetes need not prevent one from living a full, active and productive life.
Campers will receive a Bulls team bag, t-shirt, player evaluation form and graduation certificate.
Camp participant numbers are limited. For more information or to register, contact Monica Joyce, camp director, at (773) 636-3353 or send e-mail to jiemjoyce@msn.com.
The late Cheeks was the father of Maurice Cheeks, who was a National Basketball Association coach. Moses Cheeks, who had pancreatic cancer and Type 1 diabetes, was a basketball enthusiast who was instrumental in planning the camp.