This summer, I had the amazing opportunity of volunteering at RAD Camp alongside three other Marymount girls: Allie Harrigan ‘17, Erica Lydon ‘17, and Caroline Shalloe ‘18. RAD stands for Rising Above Disabilities, and the camp follows this slogan throughout the week by teaching volunteers to look past their campers’ disabilities and see that they are just like everyone else!

On the first day of camp, all the volunteers arrived at the Irvine Outdoor Education Center and were greeted by very energetic counselors dressed in cowboy attire, in accordance with the western theme. This first day was dedicated to getting to know your team of the week through various bonding activities, such as bull riding, relay races, dance contests, and so much more!

The next day was the most exciting because it was when each volunteer’s buddy arrives. All of the buddies have a disability, most commonly Down syndrome or autism, and they are mostly adults, ranging from eighteen-years old to eighty-years old. My team leader described the buddies’ arrival as, “Christmas morning because there is so much happiness and excitement.”

My buddy’s name is Julie, and she is a 40-year-old woman with Down syndrome who had been coming to camp for 20 years! At first it was hard to adjust to living with Julie 24/7, but then Julie and I became super close as we bonded through the various classes offered at camp! Although I spent a lot of time with Julie, I also loved my team because the volunteers were super fun, and the buddies were hilarious!

The classes at camp include: music, dance, science, games, swimming, art, journal and spirit. Each day, for a week, I went to different classes with my buddy and my team! Julie’s favorite classes were journal and spirit because she was very religious, and she loved to connect with God during these classes.

Swim time was a camp favorite because it was when the whole camp comes together in one pool while dancing to music and playing pool games. Even buddies who are usually in wheelchairs could go in the pool on floaties, so everyone was able to participate! Allie Harrigan ‘17 describes the pool as, “a really fun place for the campers and counselors to bond, allowing them to create amazing memories with their buddies!”

There were also many special events at camp throughout the week. Two of my favorite events were the dance and the carnival. The dance was super fun because the buddies dressed up in their nicest clothes, got their hair and makeup done, and danced all night long! Because the theme of camp this year was country, there was a western carnival in the middle of the week that was filled with lots of western attire, carnival games, a dunk tank, face painting, balloon making, and funnel cakes. Erica Lydon ‘17 states that the carnival was, “a day that gave every buddy the opportunity to have an amazing time, closing with a classic Disney movie that night!”

Another great aspect of camp was the food, which everyone loved! There was a very high energy atmosphere in the cafeteria before any meal because the different teams competed to be the most energetic so they could get their food first. All the food was cooked by volunteers, called “kitchen angels,” who were usually volunteers’ parents or friends.

One amazing moment at camp this year was when RAD Camp received a donation from Disneyland. At first, the two founders of camp, Katie and Meghan, thought Disney was coming to camp to provide us with a surprise snack; however, when the Disney representatives showed up, they pulled out a giant check for $60,000. The next hour was filled with dancing, singing, and tears of joy from everyone at camp, even the Disney representatives.

The last night at camp was filled with tons of emotions. First, all the buddies participated in a talent show that ranged from dancing, to singing, to drawing, to acting, and even make-up tutorials (which is what Erica’s buddy did). After the talent show, the volunteers put their buddies to bed and then they went to the volunteer retreat night. This night lasted until 2:00am, but it was completely worth the lack of sleep because it allowed volunteers to reflect on their incredible time at camp.  

Overall, my experience at RAD Camp was amazing. Not only did I meet many inspiring special needs adults, but I also made new friendships with several volunteers. I learned to never judge a special needs person based only on their disability because each adult that I met was extremely unique and had a different talent or story. I can’t wait to continue my experience by volunteering at RAD Camp next summer!