BIG BAY, Mich. (WZMQ) – This weekend, campers checked in at Bay Cliff Health Camp for a 7-week therapy based summer camp. The flagship program at Bay Cliff, the summer camp gives kids with disabilities a chance to have a summer camp experience and gain some independence.
58 campers checked in this weekend for a summer full of singing, smore eating, and kayaking at bay cliff health camp. The camps Executive Director, Clare Lutgen, says seeing the campers smile as they are welcomed in makes the months of planning worth it.
“That finally all of our work has come into action is so exciting,” Lutgen says, “We literally spend all of our time, the majority of our time, getting ready for this weekend.”
Bay cliff is a therapy based camp, all of the children who attend are navigating the world with some sort of disability. The camp staffs speech, occupational and physical therapists that help the campers develop the skills to gain greater levels of independence. Camp Director Jessica Manier says it’s such a unique opportunity for kids from all over the US.
“A lot of them wouldn’t go to summer camp otherwise or have the opportunity to.” Manier says, “So, we’re excited to provide this summer camp opportunity for them.”
The camp staff has spent the last nine months preparing for this summer, planning games, crafts, and outdoor camping activities, all while hosting year round events.
“we’ve been planning and planning and now the kids are here,” Manier says, “I’m excited to see them grow, as well as our counselors grow, and all the staff grow in ways we never thought possible. And just to see the kids have smiles on their faces every day, doing what they love.”
With the goal of helping kids lead fuller lives, the camps staff has a summer full of new experiences planned so the kids can have fun and learn new life skills.
