Special Outdoor Adaptive Recreation (SOAR), is the overnight camp for children with special needs which is offered through Children's Research Triangle. Camp SOAR programming is held at YMCA Camp Algonquin in Algonquin, IL.
The camp has a two-fold mission:
Since 2000, SOAR has continued to develop its programs to meet these goals successfully.
SOAR was developed in 2000 under the leadership of Nancy Keck, M.D. and Ingrid Thompson, R.N. A very successful fundraiser in the spring of 2000 allowed SOAR to open its doors to its first Family Camp weekend that same spring. This was followed by our first summer overnight camp in July 2000, attended by 19 campers with various special needs, including cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, autism and cognitive impairments. Twenty-six enthusiastic volunteers enjoyed an eye-opening experience, and Camp SOAR was on its way!
In the winter of 2003, Children's Research Triangle (CRT) took over sponsorship of Camp SOAR. CRT has enthusiastically supported SOAR's programs and looks forward to helping SOAR grow. Children with special needs seldom have the opportunity to participate in traditional outdoor and recreational activities. Camp SOAR offers that opportunity to children with autism, Down Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, cerebral palsy and many other handicapping disorders. The purpose is to promote the physical and emotional well-being specifically for those children who ordinarily do not have the chance to engage in such programs, while also providing respite for the parents.
Weeklong over night camp is the cornerstone program for SOAR. The camp is open to children and teens (7 to 19 years old) with any physical and/or cognitive special needs (including children and teens requiring "total care.") SOAR is unique in that it provides a one-to-one camper-counselor ratio (plus additional activities staff), with on-site developmental pediatrician and nursing coverage. Parents and siblings benefit from a week of respite, while the camper is away having fun.
Parents often express concerns about sending their special camper (who perhaps has never been away from home) to an overnight camp for one week. Camp SOAR offers shorter weekend camps, called Respite Weekends. The Respite Weekend is available for campers between the ages of 5 and 19. Respite Weekends allow new campers to give camp a try without committing to a whole week. Parents and campers found this to be helpful. The weekend "trial period" also proved to be helpful for counselors unsure about committing to 1 or 2 weeks of camp. Some counselors had so much fun at the weekend; they decided to sign on for the summer!
The ultimate goal of SOAR is to allow our special campers and their families to enjoy life a little more! And, boy, have we been having fun!!
"Tony loves the camping experience and all his friends at Camp SOAR. This is an excellent program, run by dedicated people."
"Laura anticipated camp for months and was beyond excited! You and your crew did not disappoint at all. She wished that she could have stayed forever."
"We noticed how happy Stuart was and that he seemed more self-sufficient and confident when he returned. He has been answering questions more responsively and acting like he matured at camp. Camp SOAR was a wonderful experience for him."
To find out more information about Camp SOAR, to donate, or
to volunteer please contact:
Phone: (312) 726-4011 or
email:CampSoar@cr-triangle.org.
