Sunny opportunities abound

By MATT BIXENSTINE
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
KINSMAN -- It's an overcast midmorning as campers and counselors, laughing and splashing, crowd Camp Sugarbush's heated outdoor swimming pool.
The swimmers refuse to let the seemingly constant threat of rain dampen their spirits. In fact, they see nothing but blue skies ahead.
"We don't have rain here at camp," said Mineral Ridge resident, Marty Chizmar, who is in his 26th year as a camp counselor. "We have liquid sunshine."
The campers, participating in the Girl Scouts Lake to River Council's Special Needs Day Camp, have taken a similar upbeat approach to dealing with their disabilities.
Although its name and site have changed over the years, Special Needs Camp, formerly known as Orthopedically Handicapped Camp, has been a summer tradition for 40 years and is one of the oldest camps of its kind in Ohio.
It targets males and females ages 5 to 21 from Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties who otherwise night not have an opportunity to participate in summer camps. Each of the 34 campers is stricken with a disability ranging from Down syndrome and muscular dystrophy to attention deficit disorder.
"But I don't even look at that [their disabilities]," camp director Connie Yencik said. "We're just here to show them a good time, make friends and enjoy the outdoors."
Lasting effects
Yencik said participants have made lasting friendships by attending the camp year after year. Many campers maintain contact in between camps with the help of online instant messaging.
The volunteer counselors also benefit from the camp, craft director Corinne Larman said. Larman, also a Girl Scout troop leader, has witnessed her scouts serving as counselors and later pursuing a career in aiding the handicapped.
"That's a void we fill," Larman said. "Those girls would've never known they had this interest or calling without the camp."
Camp expenses are estimated at $400 per participant, but each camper pays only $40 to attend, said Karen Conklin, the scout council's chief executive officer. The remainder of the funding comes from the council's operating budget, the Hine Memorial Fund of the Youngstown Foundation, Mahoning Valley Sports Charities Inc. and public donations.
One of the largest expenses involves providing the campers bus transportation from Eastwood and Southern Park malls in Niles and Boardman, respectively, to Camp Sugarbush and back.
"We acknowledge a lot of people with special needs children have a lot of expenses already, so we do what we can to help," Conklin said.
Special projects
In addition to swimming, the campers construct crafts, fly kites, play kickball and hike during the five-day camp. Special events include a dance, family night and overnight camp out.
But for many campers, including Chizmar's 18-year-old stepdaughter, Candace Hearrell, and Vinnie Bruno, 20, of Hubbard, the highlight is the annual pool volleyball game.
Most of the campers require a personal counselor, and some need a wheelchair. All of them, however, receive a "life-altering experience" at camp, Conklin said.
"I get letters from their parents saying, 'Thank you. This is the only week of the year my child is treated like a normal kid.'"
mbixenstine@vindy.com