Rotarians fund Camp Wonderland playground

Campers cheer on their counselor at Wonderland Camp in Rocky Mount, Mo., during a medieval jousting tournament. The camp welcomes individuals ages 6 and up with developmental or physical disabilities, and it hosted 96 during the last week of June 2016.
Campers cheer on their counselor at Wonderland Camp in Rocky Mount, Mo., during a medieval jousting tournament. The camp welcomes individuals ages 6 and up with developmental or physical disabilities, and it hosted 96 during the last week of June 2016.

Wonderland Camp is a place near Lake of the Ozarks where disabled kids and adults can explore outside, play games and have a safe summer camp experience while their families and caregivers take a well-deserved break.
In other words, its name fits.
"I just wish there were a lot more Wonderland Camps all over," said Debbie Laughlin, a Fulton Rotary Club member and former special education teacher.
She and several other members of the Fulton Rotary will travel to the camp May 7 to dedicate a new accessible playground funded by the group.
"This past year, a number of the Rotary clubs in Missouri pooled their money to buy an adaptive playground," clu President Mary Ann Beahon said.
Rotarians donated $1,750, which was matched in a grant by Rotary District 6080. The Fulton club gets to name the playground's "wobbly bridge," Beahon added.
The club is also helping with some painting at the camp, Laughlin said.
Each year, Rotarians collect supplies for Wonderland Camp.
"Dollar General, our corporate member, is donating a lot of supplies from that wish list," Beahon said. "Our members will be donating supplies that are on the wish list as well."
According to Laughlin, places like Wonderland Camp are invaluable to disabled people.
"I was a special ed teacher in Fulton for 20 years," Laughlin said. "Several of students went in the summers. Most of them were pretty low-functioning, so their verbal skills weren't the greatest.
"But they would wear their Wonderland shirts with pride through the school year."
Because there iss at least one trained staff member available for every three campers, caregivers can have peace of mind while their wards are at camp.
"It gives them an opportunity to do something else other than being constantly in the care mode," Beahon said.
To learn more about Wonderland Camp and how to get involved, visit wonderlandcamp.org.