It’s one of the highlights of our calendar every year.
Our Annual DSR Kids Summer Camp, which this year took place from February 17-19 at Camp Manyung in Mt Eliza, saw 10 campers with disability aged between 7-17 make the trip down to the beach, with three of these campers attending for the very first time!
True to its name, this year’s Summer Camp started out with a scorcher, with temperature’s surpassing 38 degrees on the Friday. This meant it was a pretty lowkey start to the weekend with everyone heading to the beach to cool down before settling in for some afternoon tea and a hugely entertaining games night. However, with a full day of activities planned for Saturday, everyone went to bed early, excited for what was to come.
On Super Saturday, our young campers eagerly jumped out of bed, ready to take on the day's activities planned by the camp instructors. The first activity, which is a favorite among everyone, was the tree rolling and ropes course. This course involves a universal rope system designed to challenge the children's coordination and balance, testing their ability to overcome the challenge of completing the course.
As usual, the big swing was one of the highlights of the day, and Zoey shared her experience saying, "At first, I was pretty nervous, but I gave it my best, and I loved it."
After a morning tea break, the campers returned for the bike education program. The program included specialty modified bikes, enabling all participants to experience the joy of riding a bike. The day's activities concluded with an archery course where some future Australian archery representatives for the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games might have been uncovered.
The campers, tired after a day full of activities, settled in for a movie night and watched the classic Disney cartoon, 101 Dalmatians. The final day was more relaxed, with the campers waking up for breakfast followed by a kitchen garden session where they were introduced to the amazing herb garden at Camp Manyung. They then made their own pizzas with ingredients they picked from the garden.
For one camper, Orla, it was the first time she spent time away from her family. When asked about her first camp experience, Orla said she felt "lucky."
This year's camp marked a very special anniversary for one of our volunteers, Tim, who celebrated 30 years of supporting DSR Kids Camps. He attended his very first camp in 1993 and said, "I love coming to camp and seeing the kids trying something new that they haven't done before, as well as the social aspect."
DSR would like to take this opportunity to thank Tim for his dedication and commitment to our camps over the past 30 years. We truly appreciate his tireless efforts and support, which have helped make our camps a huge success and provided unforgettable experiences for so many children with disabilities. We look forward to many more years of working together to provide these wonderful opportunities for our campers.
It was an amazing weekend, and we look forward to holding many more successful DSR camps in the future.
For more information on future camps, head here