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Water skiing program for VI kids

Before I knew about HPS, I was a very active volunteer in the Adventure Fitness program, run by Camp Fire USA, here in Kansas City. The program is for blind and visually impaired kids. It gets them active and teaches life skills. As someone who never played a team sport, got picked on so much in gym class that even now as an adult going to a gym is an emotional, sometimes tramatic thing, I really believe in this program and cause. I don't volunteer now as much for two reasons.

First, my HPS duties keep me so busy. Second, I don't drive and right now I can't afford cab fares to get to events. I get tired of always having to call around and beg for rides and feel like I'm imposing on people. I know, I know, you've got to speak up and say you need a ride, but to be honest, constantly begging when everyone knows you need a ride just gets old.

If I weren't so busy with HPS, and if my health issues were a little more predictable, I'd probably suck it up and be more demanding. Right now, I'm just focused elsewhere.

I do think it's an awesome program and a great experience for the kids - one I didn't really have growing up so I value it all the more.

Here's an article about Adventure Fitness's recent water skiing outing.

Mark’s on the Move: Water-skiing program caters to special-needs children

By Mark Boyle
This week, Mark throws on the sunscreen and a swimsuit for a lesson in water-skiing. The MoKan Ski Club uses a privately owned lake just southeast of Lawrence and once a year is host to a water-skiing adventure for several of the area’s visually impaired children.

By Mark Boyle
August 16, 2009
Editor’s note: Reporter Mark Boyle takes us behind the scenes of news stories in the area. This week, he threw on the sunscreen and a swimsuit for a lesson in water-skiing. The MoKan Ski Club uses a privately owned lake just southeast of Lawrence and once a year is host to a water-skiing adventure for several of the area’s visually impaired children.

The spray on their faces and the warmth of the sun on their skin were just a couple of memorable impressions made Wednesday for several area visually impaired children.

Boaters Brian Legg, driving, and Bryan Adriance, standing, help Tina Jinkens experience water-skiing.

As part of Adventure Fitness, which is a program of physical fitness and life skills for children with special needs, these kids were given the chance to fulfill a dream many thought wasn’t possible.

Read the full story at: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/aug/16/marks-move-water-skiing-program-caters-special-nee/
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