eSpecially Ben

I received this letter a few weeks after Ben attended Rainbow Express at Matthews United Methodist Church: First off, thank you so much for sharing your wonderful son with me this week. Ben really fascinated me as I learned more about him each day. I loved seeing his smile and laugh when he got excited, and although it was a wee bit painful, I laughed so hard every time I turned around and saw him innocently gnawing on my hair! Everywhere we walked in the hallways, someone stopped us wanting to meet Ben. It might have been because of his awesome trike or adorable red hair, but once people looked him in the eyes they fell in love with him and couldn't help but tell me how cute he is. I was surprised how well Ben was able to communicate his desires with me. I feel as though I've learned so much, not only about Ben, but about myself. Having Ben as my camper was a massive blessing. Give Ben a hug for me! Jaclyn Reading this letter made my day!

Therapeutic Recreation’s Amazing Race What is Therapeutic Recreation’s Amazing Race and why should I register or donate? Therapeutic Recreation’s Amazing Race is a fun filled urban adventure where two person teams solve puzzles, figure out clues, find locations and complete challenges while discovering uptown Charlotte. Your registration fee ($100 for a two person team) will be deposited directly into the Therapeutic Recreation Summer Day Camp Scholarship fund that is administered through Partners for Parks, Inc. This dedicated scholarship fund supplies financial support for pre-schoolers, youth, teens and young adults who have disabilities to attend Therapeutic Recreation Summer Day Camps. During the summer of 2010, a total of $11,000 was utilized to provide financial support for participants to attend summer day camp. All scholarships awarded were based on the economic need of the participant. This is significantly less than the amount we were able to provide for the summer of 200

Ben having a good ole' time at camp. Ben attended 6 weeks of camp at Imagination Station this summer, a camp coordinated through the County Parks and Recreation   - Therapeutic Recreation Division. Each week, Ben swam, participated in music therapy, My Gym , arts and crafts and story time. A field trip to local amusement parks and other fun places was also part of their schedule every week. Because the camp director is educated and trained as a recreational therapist , she understands the needs of children with disabilities. A consistent, predictable schedule was set for the week, but specific activities changed often throughout the day to offer variety and keep the attention of the campers. Ben loved this camp. When I came to pick him up, he was never ready to leave. One of his favorite places was the playroom filled with tunnels and slides for kids to climb and hide. Although Ben mostly observed the kids running, he enjoyed it so much. So many of his fellow campers woul

Each year a local church sponsors a week-long camp for children with special needs. This was Ben's 4th year attending Rainbow Express . What makes this camp so different from others is that it is planned through the youth ministry at the church. The teens of the church coordinate all the details, activities, serve as the counselors, and prepare a new puppet show each day. The adults in the church serve as nurses and additional staff. Many take their week of vacation to volunteer at this camp. Max (Buddy), Ben and Rachel (Counselor) Over 100 campers attended this year. Each camper is paired with a teenage counselor, and some campers also have a Buddy, a peer who has typical abilities. Ben's counselor was Rachel, a rising freshman in college. Ben's buddy was Max, a another super-cute six-year old redhead. It really is impossible to describe how wonderful this camp is for everyone who participates, volunteers or parents a child who attends. I do know that Ben meets

This summer has taken some getting used to - I think I may have mentioned it here a time or two. In an effort  to create some sort of a schedule, we started renting Red Box Family Movies every day. Tonight the boys are watching Free Willy while eating popcorn. Last night it was Beverly Hills Chihuahuas . It has been a relaxing way to end the day and spend time with each other. Another mom blogger recently wrote about how summer is a stressful time for parents with children with special needs. She mentioned how most other families lavish the thought of days filled with no schedules. For parents with children with special needs, it can be a challenging time. We are fortunate to have a therapeutic recreation division within our county parks and recreation department. They coordinate an eight week camp for children with special needs. The schedule includes weekly swim sessions, field trips, music therapy and gymnastics time. The ratio for the camps with smaller children is almost 2

Ben's summer camp, coordinated through the Therapeutic Recreation Division of the county park service is planning a fundraiser called Amazing Race , based on the reality TV show . Teams of two will compete on Saturday, March 20, for a trophy.  Being a person who lives on the edge, I signed up right away. My teammate and I will solve challenging puzzles, find crazy hidden messages and possibly eat dead worms - I made that last part up (I hope).  We do have to know our local history. Our starting time for the day of the event is based on our score on a trivia contest a few days before the race. On the day of the race, we have to walk and run to get to each location. No cars, bicycles, mopeds or public transportation allowed. No mention of brooms, though. Ben has attended this camp for the past three years on scholarship. It is a wonderful camp offering really cool weekly field trips to amusement parks, zoos, and Monkey Joe's .  Each group goes swimming at a special zero entr