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ELLSWORTH – The American Cancer Society, in cooperation with Eastern Maine Medical Center, the Ronald McDonald House, and the Bangor YMCA Camp Jordan, again is offering Camp Rainbow, a weeklong camping experience, to children with cancer. The camp, in its 15th year, is free of charge, thanks to the financial contributions from the society’s many friends and donors.

Camp Rainbow will operate June 23-29 at Camp Jordan on Branch Lake in Ellsworth, a facility on more than 200 acres with a well-developed waterfront, spacious dining hall, ropes course, athletic areas, theater stage, and arts and crafts building.

Children ages 4 through high school (including this year’s graduates) who have been diagnosed with cancer, as well as their siblings, may participate in dozens of traditional camp activities and meet others affected by cancer.

According to Cheryl Tucker of the American Cancer Society, the purpose of the camp is to “bolster self-esteem and confidence, strengthen supportive relationships, and just have fun.”

Children now in treatment for cancer as well as those who are up to 10 years post-treatment are eligible. Children ages 4 to 6 may attend with a parent or guardian; those 7 and older may attend alone.

Attendance is subject to the approval of the medical director. Maine children are given preference, but children from out-of-state are also encouraged to apply.

Chemotherapy and blood tests are given on-site by the medical staff, and the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinic at Eastern Maine Medical Center provides 24-hour medical staffing for the week. For information and an application for this year’s Camp Rainbow, contact Cheryl Tucker at the American Cancer Society at (800) 464-3102, Ext. 3709.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy and service.

BANGOR – The Dystonia Support Group of Greater Maine will hold a meeting 1-3 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at EMTC’s Rangeley Hall, Sylvan Road, to discuss treatments and services available for people who have a voice disorder known as spasmodic dystonia.

Spasmodic dystonia is characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that force parts of the body into abnormal and sometimes painful movements or positions. Dystonia is the third most common movement disorder after Parkinson’s disease and affects an estimated 300,000 people in North America. Dystonia can occur in a generalized or focal form. It is not fatal, but can be debilitating.

Spasmodic dystonia affects the vocal chords, giving the voice a strained, hoarse quality, or a low, breathy, whispered quality.

The guest speaker will be Mary Bellandese, University of Maine assistant professor of communications sciences and disorders. She is also the director of the voice clinic at Conley Speech and Hearing Center in Orono. The topic of her presentation is “Treatment of Spasmodic Dystonia: Botox and-or Voice Therapy.”

Bellandese graduated from the University of Connecticut. She is certified by the American and Maine Speech-Language-Hearing Associations, and by the Cleft Palate Association. She also is a certified instructor of alaryngeal voice.

The public is invited to attend. Light refreshments will be provided. For information, call 234-7225 or 942-3650.

The American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, will team up with area facilities to hold the annual Stroke Symposium, designed for stroke survivors, family members, those at risk of stroke, and health care providers.

The event will be held 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, May 10, at these locations:

. Bangor, St. Joseph Healthcare, St. Francis Center, Center Street.

. Bangor, Eastern Maine Medical Center.

. Bar Harbor, MDI Hospital.

. Dover-Foxcroft, Mayo Regional Hospital.

. Presque Isle, The Aroostook Medical Center.

The keynote speaker is registered nurse Polly Gandy Perez, stroke survivor and author.

The cost is $10 for individuals, $15 for couples, $35 for health care providers. Scholarships are available. For details or registration, call (800) 937-0944. Register early as space is limited.

BANGOR – Typical spring weather, fun, food and prizes greeted the 3,600 walkers who participated in the Manpower MS Walk on April 7. The walk raised more than $425,200 to help find a cure for multiple sclerosis. Sixteen walk sites statewide participated.

Nichole Frappier, walk manager for the Maine Chapter of the National MS Society, said preliminary figures show a 20 percent increase over last year. In 2001, nearly 2,700 people participated in the walk and raised $367,000.

Preliminary numbers show that more than 78 people participated in Guilford, 92 in Pittsfield and 442 in Bangor.

“We want to thank everyone who helped make this year’s walk such a tremendous success. Without our dedicated volunteers who worked many long, hard hours, this would not have been possible,” Frappier said.

Money raised from the walk helps support research for multiple sclerosis, a disease of the central nervous system that affects young adults. Funds also help support the many programs and services to help more than 2,000 people suffering from MS in Maine.

For information about the MS Walk or about multiple sclerosis, call the MS Society at (800) 639-1330 or 761-5815, or visit their Web site at www.msmaine.org.