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;fr.e. - r - i : PAGE 18 - PLAINDEALER - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17.1983 •i «i,k t». * --A*.*mi : : ' ••- 'V iV t h >y£ mmm MMmm V ̂ yB •'• i . y\ m wW/k MJ* si .. . ' • They Expect v^- v TrH ii4it old, says John DeJuho, director. And surprisingly, the small camp is run cm little more than donations. The founding club provides operational IP* ' t . . the dormitory setting of the 4C's camp was quiet with young boy dress for the afternoon ahead, which included napping campers until a group of clowns awakened the pony rides and a boat trip. room with their antics and laughter. This clown helps a Children's Smiles Are All The Gratitude ! The precious smile on the face of a child is what keeps the 4C's camp running in fine tradition. HDn Friday, August 12, the 4C's camp, near Sunny side, dbmpleted its 38th year of operation. The 37 physically hahdicapped youngsters who attended the last four-week session went home happy from their new experiences, and most likely eager to attend again next year. One of those memorable experiences of 4C's camp members is the annual visit by a clown clan-- a dedicated group of McHenry area residents who don red rubber noses, wigs and baggy pants, just to make one of those special campers smile. "Every year, by the time we get out of here, there are always a few kids that wrap themselves right around your heart." said Ed Guettler of McCullom Lake, as he smiled through a white painted face. "There's a lot of affectionate, outgoing kids, that reach for that affection." The clowns started in the McHenry chapter of the Kiwanis Club. Guettler is one of the oldest members in years of serv ice. He has been coming to the camp, every year, since 1957. Traditionally, the children are awakened by the clowns from a mid-afternoon nap. They are given gifts and then after they are dressed, they are treated to an afternoon of pony rides and boat rides on Pistakee Bay. It's an experience that the children will not soon forget. The Kiwanis Club also sponsors a trip to the theater and one to the Milwaukee^^ounty Zoo at each camping session. The organization also brought the campers to McHenry this year to watch the Fiesta Days parade. The 4C's camp was organized by the Chicago Club for the Physically Handicapped, a non-profit agency. Its purpose is to provide an environment where physically handicapped children could receive therapy in a recreational setting. The McHenry County camp is the only one of its kind to accept handicapped children as young as three years funds, but the young campers don't go home with a big bill. Families of the young campers are asked to donate what they can. "We don't have a standard fee," explains DeJulio. "We ask the families to give a small contribution. It barely covers our costs, but we'll accept whatever they can give." . < \ "It's a hard situation. There's a lot of added expense in raising a handicapped child." ^ The camp can accommodate up to 40 children in each session. (There are two sessions every summer.) The children come from all over the state. They range in age from three to 10, and are of different races and backgrounds. But all share in one thing-- they suffer from some physical handicap. "Some of the children have spina bifida, some have cerebral palsy, others have polio," explains DeJulio. "Part of the criteria is the severity of the handicap. They have to be able to benefit from the camp. It is not a custodial type of camp. We can't handle severe disabilities with our staff." The 4C's camp has 13 counselors, a ratio of about one counselor for every three campers. They are generally college students or graduates who have studied in a field relating to the handicapped. Physical and speech theraptote'Ste also employed at the camp. "We try to maintain the therapy they would receive throughout the year, so they don't lose the gains they've made over the summer," DeJulio said. "A Tot of things they do here for the first time, and they've never (tone it at home." "It may be that the kids are under less stress here. They're learning because they're enjoying themselves. Many of the kids look forward to coming to camp. It's like their second home." This little Vietnamese child shows a little shyness as the persistence, however, paid off, as her face soon broke out clowns gather around her to give her gifts.. Their with a happy grin. t • "-'y T rypy Story By Donna Bertul is Photos By Wayne Gaylord X I*# * A ' •» r S'J 1*1, ;y w * +* »* •»>'*«?* kVV,V> rift % s . -1 H§t& S§ 4 ,,/ i: A ride on a pony-drawn card is a highlight of the McHenry taken a few Mocks down the road, where houseboats await Kiwanis Club's visit to the 4C's camp. The children are them for a trip on the lake. v •• i f "There's always a few kids that wrap themselves right around your heart," said one of the members of a clown group, which visits the 4C's camp for the ^ . . «... ~ . handicapped every year. A smile, beaming from the face of a happy child such A J"""1* 4C s camPer attempts to wipe the clown makeup off his cheek, which special attention by the McHeniy Kiwanis clowns created an afternoon of fun as this one. is more than enough payment for the volunteer work. was left behind when this clown welcomed him with a big kiss. A little bit of for the 37 members of the handicapped camp.