HomeCamaraderie at Camp
posted on Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
On June 3, 2011 we held our 11th annual Midwest Brachial Plexus Summer Camp session at the Rotary Youth Camp in Lee's Summit, MO. It was a great time for families with children affected by brachial plexus injury to get together, have fun and share information. Brachial Plexus Injury truly affects the entire family, which is why we have designed our camp sessions to include everyone.
Many families return year after year. Some of us have grown up together. New families come from nearby and across the country. Through this kind of networking, we have all learned a lot about brachial plexus injury and treatment options available to help our children. We have shared the hurdles we face as families, as well as the struggles our children face on a daily basis because of their injuries. There is something very comforting about knowing someone else understands how you feel and knows what you are going through. Support from others is an important tool for moving forward after your child has been injured and family life has been permanently impacted.
Each year we plan activities around a new theme to keep things exciting and fun for the kids. There is always a lot of time for swimming, crafts, games and enjoying the beautiful grounds of the Rotary Camp and nearby Lake Jacomo. In years past, activities have included boating, airplane rides and horseback rides as well as visits to Missouri Town and a Kansas City Royal's baseball game. This year, "The Art of Entertainment" was our theme and there was plenty of entertainment to keep everyone busy.
Early Saturday morning, planes took off from the Lee's Summit Airport for the first adventure of the day. Volunteer pilots from Chapter 91 of the EAA Young Eagles flew the children over Lake Jacomo and the Rotary Camp grounds. They had a great experience and a birds-eye view of Eastern Jackson County.
The afternoon was filled with swimming, water games and scuba instruction. In the evenings, Games2U brought out air-conditioned video game trucks, a large hamster ball, booger wars and laser tag.
On Sunday, we did craft projects, more swimming and a scavenger hunt. We also enjoyed the talents of many of our campers and parents as they performed in a variety show.
Camp was a success again, and we avoided the stifling heat and thunderstorms that plagued us last year. As always, we thank the Rotarians and the Rotary Camp staff for allowing us to use their camp facility and inviting us to come back each year. We appreciate Chapter 91 of the EAA Young Eagles for taking time out of their weekend to share the excitement of flight with our kids. We also thank the merchants who donated to our camp session; Target - Independence, HyVee- Blue Springs and Walmart - Lee's summit. Of course, we couldn't do it without the support of our BPI families and friends in our community who contribute to make camp possible. We look forward to it every summer as much as the kids do.
