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22 | May 17, 2018 | 22nd century media Summer Fun Guide<br />
22ndCenturyMedia.com<br />
Shady Oaks Camp<br />
promotes equality,<br />
compassion<br />
Camp for most children is a chance to<br />
get away, meet new friends and have fun<br />
for the summer. For those campers who<br />
attend Shady Oaks Camp in Homer Glen,<br />
it is much, much more.<br />
In the 1940s there were very little services<br />
available for people with special<br />
needs. People with physical disabilities<br />
were treated just like those with intellectual<br />
disabilities and mental health disorders.<br />
Regardless of the disability, many<br />
of the children were institutionalized and<br />
kept in deplorable conditions. A small<br />
group of parents of children with special<br />
needs agreed this was unacceptable and<br />
decided to do something about it.<br />
In 1942 the Parents Association for Cerebral<br />
Palsy Children, Inc was founded.<br />
In 1947, their dream was realized with the<br />
purchase of a piece of property in Lockport,<br />
now Homer Glen, and the opening of Shady<br />
Oaks Camp for People with disabilities.<br />
Fast forward 71 years and Shady Oaks<br />
Camp is still owned and operated by the<br />
Parents Association. In fact, one of the<br />
original campers, Richard Lazar, still attends<br />
camp and will celebrate his 71st<br />
year this summer.<br />
Shady Oaks Camp is one of the, if<br />
not the only, not-for-profit 501c3, parent<br />
owned and operated, 1:1 summer camp<br />
for people with disabilities still in operation.<br />
SOC is open to all disabilities as<br />
long as a parent, family member or group<br />
is willing to join the Parents Association<br />
and help fundraise on behalf of the<br />
camper. The PA receives no government<br />
and very little outside funding. Almost all<br />
of the $400,000 it costs to run camp each<br />
summer is raised by the parents through<br />
fundraisers and direct donations.<br />
One such fundraiser this year is our<br />
camp carnival. Shady Oaks is partnering<br />
with Fun Services to host a carnival complete<br />
with inflatables and table games. This<br />
fundraiser not only will raise much needed<br />
funds for camp, but also will help in spreading<br />
the word on our Acorns Day Camp for<br />
non-disabled children held in July.<br />
Another unique thing about SOC is that<br />
many of its 1:1 staff come from all over<br />
the world. College students from Ireland,<br />
England, Australia, Germany, Poland and<br />
many other countries come to SOC every<br />
summer to work with our campers. They<br />
add a unique international feel that many<br />
of our campers may never experience otherwise.<br />
Shady Oaks is not just a summer camp;<br />
it is a place where lifelong friendships are<br />
made and everyone is treated equally. This<br />
is a place where people with and without<br />
disabilities can interact without prejudice<br />
or expectations. It is a place where those<br />
from other countries, cultures and social<br />
standings work together for a common<br />
purpose. The camp may be 40 miles from<br />
one of the biggest cities in the world, but<br />
it feels like 1,000 miles. It is a place that<br />
has changed the lives of so many, campers<br />
and staff alike, for many years. This<br />
incredible place is where our entire community<br />
can enjoy the finer aspects of life.<br />
SOC is simply a little slice of heaven.<br />
Submitted by Shady Oaks Camp, 16300 Parker<br />
Road, Homer Glen. For more information,<br />
call (708) 301-0816, or visit shadyoakscamp.<br />
org.
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