Camp Hayden returns with fun for children with special needs
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RIRIE — Camp Hayden returned for its sixth year of creating fun for families with special needs.
Friday through Sunday, Camp Hayden is hosting the families of 20 children with special needs at Aspen Grove Inn and RV Park, which is the most the camp has ever hosted.
“Every year we are able to serve more families at our camp, adapt new and exciting activities for our campers and have a bigger impact on the special needs community,” said Amy Smith, board president of Camp Hayden.
Camp Hayden adapts activities and adventures so that those with physical or mental disabilities can enjoy the fun in a safe environment.
The camp started in 2018 in honor of Hayden Chapa. Hayden was born with microlissencephaly, which means the brain has underdeveloped ridges. This can lead to learning and movement difficulties. His parents, Jason and Kami Chapa still found ways to help Hayden enjoy adventure, like jet skiing.
“He could laugh and interact with people and was just a little bright ball of sunshine,” said Marketing Director Matt Janz.
At just 3-years-old, Hayden passed away, leaving his parents devastated.
“It hit them really hard as the loss of a child will do,” Janz said. “So they had this idea to start a nonprofit to help special needs families have the same kind of life and opportunities that Hayden did.”
Camp Hayden held its first camp in 2018 at the Big Elk Creek YMCA Camp. Camp Hayden volunteers had rebuilt the camp after it had been out of use for 4 years. Camp founders Jason and Kami Chapa spent 3 summers rebuilding the camp and making it wheelchair accessible, with donations from some incredible local businesses.
“It’s amazing to see these kids light up and do things they didn’t think they could do,” Janz said.
Camp Hayden provides water adventures, horseback riding, art activities, drum circles and more.
While other camps have activities just for the kids, Camp Hayden includes the entire family.
“We actually bring the whole families out because having a child with special needs is a lot of work and it’s a lot of responsibility so it’s kind of an opportunity for the parents and the siblings to come out and also just empower everybody and form a sense of community,” Janz said. “These families don’t feel alone or isolated. They see other kids like them.”
For more information or to donate, visit their website.