Jumping on a water trampoline and soaring down a zip line are just some of the activities at Akron Rotary Camp, and everyone can try them — no matter their ability.
“My favorite memorable moments are when someone realizes that they can do something they never thought they could do,” says Dan Reynolds, the executive director of Akron Rotary Camp. “Sometimes we have to get a little creative — take a pontoon boat out, get it to the edge of the trampoline, transfer somebody on there.”
Akron Rotary Camp started in 1924, when it was a program for kids with polio. Now, the camp, which has its main campus in Portage Lakes, is run by the Akron YMCA and offers classic camp activities for kids and adults with physical and developmental disabilities.
It has a different theme each week, such as space or the beach, for its day and overnight camps with multiple sessions from June through August. At all sessions, kids get to swim, canoe, play sports, do arts and interact with turtles, lizards and snakes at the nature center. At the adult camps, they usually do activities like bingo or boat rides on Portage Lakes. This gives them opportunities to try new things. Campers often make friends, Reynolds says, and he adds that the goal is for them to develop skills they can use anywhere. He provides the example of some kids who practice making their own snacks. They also learn how to navigate conflict, such as when they need to make group decisions, which can lead to growth.
“It’s through all those activities that our campers are building independence,” Reynolds says. “We’re trying to give them some tools that they can take with them throughout their whole lives.”
The camp provides a welcome respite from kids’ everyday lives and time during the school year when they might be working hard to meet academic standards, Reynolds says.
“This is where our campers are just kids,” he says. “This is where the girls have nail painting parties and dance parties in their cabins, and all the guys are cool jocks throwing the baseball around or shooting hoops. This is a place for everyone.”
Overnight camps June 1-Aug. 5, day camps June 6-Aug. 5, 4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, gotcamp.org/akron-rotary-camp AS
