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For parents of children with disabilities who have always wanted to partake the bonding experience of fishing, a new addition to the Touch of Nature Environmental Center may help them get their wish.
The Pi Kappa Phi fraternity recently finished building a new wheelchair-accessible fishing dock on the Nature Center Pond located in the heart of SIUC's outdoor recreation center. The dock, which features a five degree inclined ramp and guardrails, was built in four days as part of the fraternity's Build America project.
Camp Little Giants is the fourth camp visited by the fraternity on its six-week service tour. Other stops include Camp Barnabas in Purdy, Mo., and Camp Cheerful in Strongsville, Ohio.
A total of 22 volunteers, most of them from the Georgia Tech and Washington State chapters of the fraternity, raised a total of $75,000 to fund the tour and purchase the building materials. Bruce Francis, the superintendent of grounds at Touch of Nature, said he has worked with the Pi Kappa's before. During the 2005 and 2006 spring breaks, the fraternity re-roofed a dozen cabins in the park.
Francis said the fraternity is about more than just beautifying the park.
"Camp Little Giant is one of the few places where disabled kids can go out and experience nature like you or me," Francis said.
Camp Little Giants was founded in 1951 by former SIU President Delyte W. Morris. At the time, the camp was the first therapeutic recreation camp for children with disabilities in the country.
Brian Schenck, a senior from Georgia Tech and a Build America volunteer, is one of the few volunteers who returned for a second year.
"I hope they get a lot of use out of this," Schenck said.
Aside from donating its time to building the new dock, the fraternity brothers also mentored and played with the children staying at the camp, which caters to children with disabilities.
Mike Roche, a senior from Georgia Tech and another returning volunteer, said he appreciated the chance to do something for the children.
"Our favorite thing to do with the kids was sing camp songs," Roche said. "I've probably learned 30 camp songs in the past two years,"
The catch-and-release pond is not open to the public, and anyone wishing to fish there must be a registered guest or in enrolled in Camp Little Giants.
Daily Egyptian writer David Lopez can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 263 or dave.lopez@siude.com.
