You never get too old to be excited about going to summer camp and the campers attending Camp Rainbow at Crowder State Park this week are no exception.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
You never get too old to be excited about going to summer camp and the campers attending Camp Rainbow at Crowder State Park this week are no exception.
Camp Rainbow, which is designed for campers ages eight to adult with physical and/or developmental disabilities in north Missouri, has been held for over 40 years, including the past 30 or so years at Crowder State Park. Most of those attending are adults, with an average age of 35 to 40.
Kim Akey of Cameron and Megan Snyder of Kansas City are serving as co-directors and have been attending Camp Rainbow for more than a decade, starting out as teenage volunteers. They said camp is designed to give the participants a little more responsibility, while letting them have fun.
?We have nap times, crafts, water games, we don?t push them to do more than they can do,? said Ms. Akey.
The week is divided into two sessions. This year, the first session ran from Monday to Wednesday and had 30 to 40 campers, while session two began Wednesday afternoon and runs through Saturday morning, with 50 to 60 higher-functioning participants.
Some of the activities held during the week include a carnival, a performance by the Mic-O-Say dancers, Special Olympics games, swimming and water games. Medals are given for Special Olympics activities and a clean cabin contest is also held (with bribery not only permitted, but encouraged!). The highlight of the week, however, is Friday night?s dance, which is as highly anticipated as a high school prom.
?Some of them start picking out who they want to dance with almost before they even get checked in,? said Stacie Pauls, who serves as recreation director.
This week, a Hawaiian theme is under way, with residents making grass skirts (from trash bags), leis and flowered baskets. Crafts are a big deal at camp and require a lot of supplies. With a limited budget, camp staff use their resourcefulness to find items that are needed. For instance, the flowers used in crafts classes this week were found on a pile of flowers removed from grave sites and slated for the trash. Many of the campers and staff have been coming to Camp Rainbow for many years, so in many ways it is like having a reunion every year. In fact, Mrs. Pauls met her husband, Jamie (whose band plays for the dances) while at Camp Rainbow. When it?s time to go home, some campers start planning next year?s trip, even going so far as to repack their suitcases. One family member told staff that his sister begins planning for camp right after Christmas each year. Staff members said they receive letters and cards from campers during the year.
The laid-back atmosphere is one of the aspects of camp that keeps the campers coming back year after year. It?s one of the places where they can laugh, drink pop, be loud and funny, something they may not be able to do if they are living in a group home as many campers do.
While Camp Rainbow appears to be a very rewarding experience for campers, the need for volunteers to help is increasing and the need for financial support is on-going. Other than a paid nurse and a night watchman, volunteers run the entire camp.
The fund-raising and organizing of the camp is coordinated by Ron and Carolyn O?Dell of Chillicothe and their daughter, Beth Milanovich. It takes around $9,000 to operate the camp each year, with about $4,000 just for the groceries. Campers are only charged $15 and those who cannot pay that amount are offered scholarships.
Presentations are made throughout the year to secure funding for the next camp and guidance counselors and churches are provided with information about volunteer opportunities for young people. The lack of volunteers may ultimately prove to be the biggest challenge.
Ms. Akey and Ms. Snyder both agreed that the number of volunteers continues to decrease each year, which means that if something doesn?t change, the future of Camp Rainbow will be in jeopardy.
Volunteers must be at least 14 years of age to stay overnight. Ms. Akey said that the optimum number of volunteers would be about 40 girls and 20 boys who could stay overnight. It was noted that volunteers don?t have to commit to be at camp for the entire week.
Certainly, the greatest need is for funds and volunteers, but donations of all sorts of items is also appreciated, including medals, which can say anything on them. Crafts items are always needed, as well.
While there are challenges ahead for Camp Rainbow, the campers seem oblivious to it all, having found a place that lets them feel independent while having a great time in a secure environment.
Those who would like to help financially, through volunteering or by donating needed items may contact Ron O?Dell at 660-646-3205 or Beth Milanovich at 660-646-5021.
by Ronda Lickteig