Camp Little Giant has been helping people throughout the area since the 1950s.

Camp Little Giant is a part of Touch of Nature Environmental Center, SIU’s outdoor laboratory and retreat center, and is the first residential camp that solely serves people with disabilities to be acknowledged as part of a University.

It was the first camp in the nation to be recognized by the American Camping Association (ACA) and one of the original developers of the Special Olympics helped found the camp.

Camp Little Giant prides itself that they can accommodate both children and adults ages 8 to 88 with a variety of disabilities.

Vicki Lang is the coordinator of Camp Little Giant and of therapeutic recreation at Touch of Nature.

Lang said the main purpose of the camp is “to give individuals with various types of disabilities an opportunity to experience a camp no different than anyone else would get to.”

“‘Yes, you can do that!’ is our candid here at Camp Little Giant,” Shaina DiLalla, head camp director, said.

The camp is divided into 11 different weeks and each week is designed to focus on a particular age range or specific characteristics of the campers.

There are specialized programs for physical and developmental disabilities, visual and hearing impairments, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, autism, ADD/ADHD, traumatic brain injuries and special needs individuals.

Located on Little Grassy Lake bordering the Shawnee National Forest, Camp Little Giant is able to offer various beach and water activities, which include supervised swimming, paddleboats and pontoon boat cruises.

The camp also offers other activities such as arts and crafts, nature hikes, music, drama, hayrides, fishing and campfires.

Camp Little Giant has 17 cabins which can each hold up to eight people. This gives the campers a choice whether to reside in the cabins during the night or just stay for the activities during the day.

There are counselors and nurses available 24 hours at Camp Little Giant.

Each of the various faculty works to ensure that the campers have complete supervision and the best time imaginable.

“Many of the campers’ parents say that the second the campers go home they won’t stop saying “I can’t wait to go back next year!’” DiLalla said.

Although Camp Little Giant does teach the campers to make friends, become more aware of their surroundings, build confidence and increase independence – therapy is not the particular goal, a worker for Camp Little Giant said.

“The main focus of Camp Little Giant is simply to give the participants an opportunity to come have a great time and vacation no matter what impairs them,” Lang said.

For more information on Camp Little Giant contact Vicki Lang at 818-453-1121 ext.231 or at [email protected]

Storey Mayer can be reached at [email protected] or 536-3311 ext. 254