Let me begin by saying that our TXPWA camp ROCKED!! As mentioned before, one of the road blocks we kept hitting when searching for a camp facility was finding one willing to help us address the food limitations that person’s with PWS have. Riverbend Retreat Center (RRC) not only accommodated us, but they let us come in prior to every meal/snack and help measure and prepare precise portions of a healthy, PW friendly meal. RRC is a faith based camp ground that has been in operation for more than 40+ years. They are booked years in advance and don’t ‘need’ the revenue, nor what some others might consider a bother, for lack of a better word. Their hearts desires are to give EVERYONE the opportunity to experience camp. We’d like to say again, thank you Riverbend Retreat Center, Glen Rose, Texas!
We reserved an area called “The Outpost”, a camp site set away from RRC’s main cabins, gift shop, dining hall, etc. “The Outpost” gives the feel of a small western town tucked away from any hustle and bustle which made for a perfect Prader Willi camp set-up.
Bill Joe Averitt, activity director for Rock House, Inc., arrived Friday evening and got the entire decor in place. Our main activity room looked like a tropical paradise. By Saturday morning, the cabins were cooled, we had fluids ready to dispense and Cool Neck Wraps chilling in the ice chest … we were finally ready to roll!
It was now officially time for camp to begin! Our one-on-one counselor’s showed up in Hawaiian attire and welcomed our campers full of fun and smiles. We collected forms while June, our fabulous camp nurse, took med intakes and special instructions from parents and caregivers. With a large task at hand, she handled it like a pro!
During registration, our camp counselors got their assigned campers in their “People With Smiles” camp T-shirts and took them to a craft table we had set up for them to make their own name tags attached to a neck lanyard. Once name tags were finished, camp counselors took their camper to their assigned sleep area and got them settled in for the weekend.
From there we gave a brief orientation to counselors first, and then campers. We assured our campers that all food was secured and none was accessible. We added that while our camp was only for person’s who have Prader Willi Syndrome (PWS), for camp weekend they were going to get to just be “People With Smiles”.
The rest of the weekend included fun and games. A refreshing dip at the five acre waterfront was great fun. We were told they had record highs of 108 degrees so we all welcomed the cool splash! We spent several hours at the lake. Camper’s slid down a 40 ft. slide, played water volleyball and basketball and even hung from the water zip line dropping into 15 ft. of water! We were pleased to have special guests Brad and Nancy Allen join us during the waterfront activities and Saturday lunch. The Allen’s are the owners of Rock House, Inc. Saturday evening, white twinkle lights and all, the “Hawaiian Luau” began! Our awesome D.J. Bill Joe, set up his corner to rock the house with songs like the Macarena, Electric Slide, Hokey Pokey and lots of other FUN dance music. Once everyone got warmed up, the counselor’s had as much fun as the camper’s. As the sun set, temperatures dropped and a nice summer breeze blew in. The hayride came and made two rounds to accommodate everyone; such a relaxing ride and a great time to just ‘chill and chat’. The outdoor movie screen and chairs were in place where campers enjoyed an outdoor movie. This activity was enjoyed by all as again, the weather was really nice once the sun set.
Sunday morning, those who wanted to participate headed over to the land zip line! It stood high in the sky and we had some very brave campers who amazed us all. I’m not going to lie, once up there it was quite intimidating! Most of our campers participated while some chose to cheer on their friends with encouragement and thrilling “Hooray’s” having taken the plunge. Again, SO proud of their courage and support for one another!!
We are still in awe of the way our campers challenged themselves in ways some had never done so before. Of our total of 25 campers, not ONE of them had a major meltdown the entire weekend. It was quite impressive to watch our campers handle themselves so well. With the daily obstacles many have to overcome, we are all so very proud of their accomplishments. We cannot tell you how many campers thanked us throughout the weekend and were readily expressing an interest in coming again next year.
Four members of the TXPWA board were in attendance. Our volunteer’s were incredible! We couldn’t have done it without them. A special thank you to Bill Joe Averitt with Rock House, Inc., not only for his invaluable guidance, but for his time and commitment to helping make our camp as successful as it was.
I hope to serve in this capacity again in the coming years. Our first year was yet another learning curve that exceedingly surpassed our expectations. The Rock House staff expressed the same sentiment. We are in the process of reserving a camp date for a full three day weekend next summer. Spots will be limited so be sure and keep checking back for future camp updates.
- Cheri Wood
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