The Hawks Harold

Lincolnway Special Recreation Association / November 2018

Lincolnway Special Recreation Summer Camp Gives
Employee of LWSRA,
An Amazing Opportunity Danny Rehm, with a
By: Danny Rehm participant during the
Summer camp is something special to all kids 2018 Summer Camp
Program.
who go to one. They’re designed to make sure children
aren’t sitting inside all day complaining about how they
never do anything. Most adults can tell you about a
summer camp they went to as a kid, and how much fun
they had at it. Unfortunately, there is a population of

children and adults that never got to experience sum-
mer camp because of their circumstances. Those who
have special needs or a mental disability don’t get the
opportunity because summer camps don’t offer the care
those participants would need. Lincolnway Special Rec-

reation gives them this opportunity.
“This camp is a great escape for them,” said Lisa
Chudzik, the mother of participant Joey Chudzik who
The Lincolnway Special Recreation Association
has Down Syndrome. “These kids would probably be
was established in 1976 and is set in the Lincolnway
sitting in their houses playing video games and watch-
school district in the south suburbs. They provide adap-
ing T.V. if this program didn’t exist. It gives them an
tive and special recreation services to those in the area
opportunity to feel normal and they get an experience
who might not meet the standards of regular park dis-
they otherwise wouldn’t get.”
trict programs, including summer camps. For years, this
program has given individuals who usuallly can’t partic-
Lincolnway Special Recreation’s mission state-
ipate in summer activities a chance to be like everyone.
ment is to provide recreation and leisure services for
those who have physical or intellectual disabilities all
Every summer, LWSRA offers a Summer Camp
while trying to give a better understanding and aware-
Program. In the past, this program lasted for six weeks,
ness of disabilities.
but it has recently extended to eight weeks. They offer
spots for participants from ages three to 21. The age
“One of the biggest goals we strive for is inclu-
groups are then broken up into smaller camps to keep
sion,” Executive Director Keith Wallace said. “We have
the age ranges together. Even though they are all sepa-
a vision of a community without limits for children and
rate, the goal is the same all summer long: to have fun.
adults who have disabilities. We want the community to
look at these individuals’ abilities rather than their dis-
During the program, the participants go on
abilities, and we want these individuals to feel that way
trail walks, go to orchards and go to farms, while also
about themselves.”
do puzzles and arts and crafts inside. There are special
full-day field trips that take the participants to water-
The LWSRA Summer Camp is an annual pro-
parks and carnivals. At the end of the summer camp,
gram that both participants and staff look forward to
the campers put on a talent show for all of their families
every year. From the outside looking in it seems like a
where they sing, dance, and do anything that makes
run-of-the-mill summer camp. For those involved, how-
them happy.
ever, it means so much more.

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 Lincolnway Special Recreation Throws Annual
Halloween Event
By: Danny Rehm
With Halloween right around the corner, join
the Lincolnway Special Recreation Association for their
fifth annual Trunk or Treat event on October 27.
This event was created to give families and other
members of the community a way to celebrate Hallow-
een while supporting LWSRA. Trunk or Treat offers
any fun Halloween activity there is to offer. With trick
or treating, costumes, haunted houses and Halloween
themed games, this is the perfect way to kick-off Hal-
loween.
A family with their un-
dead baseball team cos-
tume at 2018 the Trunk
or Treat.
Trunk or Treat was designed to be a fun, safe
and inclusive Halloween party for those who attend. It
gives members of the community a chance to check out
the type of things Lincoln-Way Special Recreation does
for the community while also giving their participants
with physical or mental disabilities a chance to have fun
during a fun holiday. In case of cold and rainy weather,
the free event will move into the gym of the rec center.
Missing this will haunt you all year long!
UPCOMING FALL EVENTS
• December 15 - Lunch with the Grinch (Session 1
10 a.m.-12 p.m.)
• December 15 - Lunch with the Grinch (Session 2
12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.)
LWSRA.org
Start the Holiday Season with the One Who
Stole Christmas
By: Danny Rehm
While most families have lunch with Jolly Old
Saint Nick, why not have lunch with one of Dr. Seuss’s
most famous characters? Lincoln Way Special Recre-
ation Association is set to host their annual Lunch with
the Grinch on December 15.
With Christmas being right around the corner,
get into the holiday spirit and visit the Grinch, and teach
him the true meaning of Christmas. This event includes
a pizza lunch, jumpy, DJ dance party and a chance to
meet and take pictures with the Mean Ol’ Grinch him-
self.
This public event aims to put you in the holiday
mood while supporting everything Lincolnway Spe-
cial Recreation Association does during the year. To
buy tickets go to the Facebook event or lwsra.org. Who
knows? Maybe your heart will grow three sizes after.
Meet and Greet with the Grinch from the 2017 Lunch with the
Grinch. Make sure to visit him again this year!
LWSRC Address: 1900 Heather Glen Dr.
New Lenox, IL 60451
Phone: (815) 320-3500
Fax: (312) 660-8831
Office Hours: Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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