Children and young adults with disabilities from across Vermilion County are having some fun this summer. Bill Pickett has the story…
The Danville AMBUCS are hosting their annual summer camps based out of the Gao Grotto on Lake Vermilion.
Lori Lyons is a co-director at the camp….
{AUDIO: “This week we have about 45 kids, and I have 30 staff. And then next week we’ll have about 40 kids and I’ll probably have about 25 staff. Many of my staff are high school students that want to pursue a degree in the field of Special Education, or Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy. A lot of my older counselors are teachers or aides in schools. So they work with the kids on a year-round basis at school.”}
(Some of the kids have fun playing with bubbles.)
Members of the Gao Grotto took the kids for boat rides this (Wednesday) morning. And Lyons says they have also been involved in other fun activities….
{AUDIO: “We have been out to Illini Skateland. We’ve played putt-putt (golf) and went roller skating. We went to the lovely Fischer Theatre and got to watch a movie at the Fischer and have popcorn. We’ve been over to Indiana to an aquatic center. And the kids got to play in the water park, and they have a spray ground zero-entry pool in Waynetown. Today, we’re out on the lake and we’re doing boat rides, and the Grotto members are providing boat rides for us. And then this afternoon we’re going to Lincoln Lanes – we’re going to go bowling.”
Lyons (shown in photo) notes those who attend the camps do so free of charge. She explained where they get the funds needed to support the camps…
{AUDIO: “Our AMBUCS Club raises a lot of the money through our annual raffle in October and our Bar Stool Golf, and AMBUCS Friday Nights. And, as I said, the Julius Hegeler II Foundation gives us a generous donation as well.”}
(Campers play on the swings at the Gao Grotto in Danville. In the photo at the top of this story some of the campers play on a Pirate ship at the Gao Grotto.)
Lyons says all the kids have special needs and the AMBUCS make accommodations so they can do the things their able-bodied peers are doing. We asked Lyons what she hopes the kids get out of participating in the camps…
{AUDIO: “I hope the kids get to have a lot of fun, and realize that they can do anything. They are capable of doing things – you know, bowling and roller skating and going to swimming pools. And that they’re not being treated different or being told “no” because of their disability – that ‘oh, you can’t do that because you have a disability.’ So I hope the kids get a lot of fun out of it, and just feel welcome as part of a group.”
Danville AMBUCS have been hosting the annual summer camps for children with disabilities for more than 50 years. Lyons has been involved in the camps for 40 years. The Danville AMBUCS also sponsor Challenger League Baseball each year giving the kids an opportunity to play ball.
