RAD Camp was in session and things were rocking and rolling Tuesday, July 16. As a DJ from KIIS FM spun Taylor Swift, Smash Mouth and the Village People tunes, campers bobbed up and down under a cavernous white tent with disco balls and a checkered dance floor.
It was “RADstock,” after all — an homage to different decades of music.
“Our goal is to give campers the best week of their year,” said Jeanne Hoffa, a RAD Camp board member.
After developing a successful business together, high school friends Meghan Clem and Katie Webb Brundige wanted to give back to their community, starting the Rising Above Disabilities Camp that this year celebrates its 10th anniversary.
On Sunday, 128 adult campers and 162 volunteer camp counselors, arrived at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa where the week-long overnight camp takes place.
Camper Julie Hutchinson, 48, of Brea, has attended every summer.
“I like just having a buddy,” she said leaning toward, and lightly touching the shoulder of her counselor, Kiera Busch, a UC Irvine student.
Campers are paired with a least one counselor for the week, depending on their needs.
Busch said she has worked at “a bunch of different camps,” but likes that RAD Camp is “the one place people are free to be themselves.”
“Being inclusive is a big thing here,” said Colleen Farrell, the camp’s communications manager. “This is a judgment-free camp.”
Aside from games and music, the camp also features classes such as sign language, art and science.
The fee for attending is $600, but no one is ever denied based on income, Hoffa said. The cost to the organization is $2,500 for each camper and counselor.
There is a closed waiting list of 400 people, but Hoffa said she is hopeful that through donations the nonprofit organization will be able to accept more campers and the list will shorten.
“This camp is vital for some families,” she said. “Some (campers) hardly ever leave the house the rest of the year.”
For information visit radcamp.org/programs
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