Celebrating a successful Summer Camp season with the stories of Samuel, Harper and Aidon Blake – campers who each received financial scholarships.

Samuel communicates differently. If you ask a question, he might answer by reciting memorized scenes from movies. Instead of having a conversation, he and his mom, Cynthia, take turns singing Do Re Mi.

Both Samuel and his brother, Harper, have autism. Harper doesn’t communicate verbally, but he’s good at making himself understood.

“Harper’s very loving and people are drawn to him,” Cynthia explains. Friendships form this way every day at Summer Camp. Campers with different backgrounds, disabilities and communication styles all come together to have a great time. As Beverley’s son, Aidon Blake, shared, “One of my friends doesn’t talk, but we still have fun!”

Aidon Blake has autism as well, with relatively low support needs. Yet in programs designed for children without disabilities, Beverley notes, “I just don’t feel like he’s protected. There’s a difference to himself and his processing.” Cynthia agrees that SOAR365 is “such a safe space” that she never worries about leaving her sons in our care.

At Summer Camp, all three boys have their favorite activities. Samuel loves horseback riding and exploring nature, Harper enjoys photography and arts and crafts, and Aidon Blake loves the water— whether swimming in the pool or paddle boating. But they also have a chance to try new things, which helps them learn and grow.

“Samuel is a little boy of habit, it stretches him,” notes Cynthia. “He has grown and matured tremendously.” Beverley noticed positive changes for Aidon Blake, too. “He tried new food just because other people were trying it,” she says. He even won a kindness award.

Both Cynthia and Beverley agree that Summer Camp has been amazing for their children. But neither family could pay for it on their own. “I had seen SOAR365 for years, but I could never afford it,” says Beverley. Cynthia notes that having children with disabilities comes with added costs, like therapy appointments and medical equipment, that are “very, very expensive.” “It’s a struggle,” she says.

Thanks to our generous donors, like the Reinhart Foundation, all three boys were able to attend Summer Camp on financial scholarships (or “camperships”). When Beverley got the news, she was “totally floored.”

“We appreciate every single person who has given any kind of money to the scholarship because it means a lot to my boys,” says Cynthia. “We don’t take it for granted. We treasure it.”

You can help give campers with disabilities a summer to remember! Donate today at soar365.org/donate.

To learn more about Summer Camp, visit soar365.org or contact Matt Hulcher, Summer Camp & Respite Services Director, at (804) 665-1272 or [email protected].