Taking a swing at new activities

By Gabrielle Gonzalez

Published: Monday, June 18, 2012 9:30 PM CDT Staff writer

219-326-3870 Ext. 13870

ggonzalez@heraldargus.com

La PORTE — If you give a blind child a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.

This is a leadership principle that the National Federation of the Blind adopted and implement to help the blind and visually impaired. Fishing was exactly what 15 visually impaired children, adults and their families experienced throughout the weekend with the help of the Westville Lions Club.

This was the first event for the blind statewide to join together and camp outdoors for a weekend.

Fifteen blind students and adults from across Indiana , along with the Indiana School for the Blind, spent the weekend engaged in actiities that included fishing, camping, beep softball, a hayride and cookout. The weekend, which was held on the property of a Lions Club member near Westville, was sponsored by the Indiana Lions Club District 25A.

The kids and adults learned to set up tents and fish, hike through the woods, experience bonfires, hayrides and play baseball. Some of the campers had never fished before or swung a bat and did not refuse to try something new.

According to Westville Lion Butch Weston, Region Chairman, Lion Al Lovati, representative of the Indiana Lions and teacher at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, talked to the Westville Lions about a weekend-long camp.

Weston agreed and donated the use of his backyard, which consists of fields, woods and a pond with bluegill, catfish and bass.

"We've been having a lot of fun," said Weston on Saturday. "I love to help people. Hopefully this can grow and we can do this next year."

All the food for the campers and families, as well as the campT-shirt that read "fishing for life" in braille, was donated by various groups and organizations.

The drinking coolers were labeled in braille as well.

"It helps to know what you are getting," said adult camper from Indianapolis Susan Jones with a laugh about the cooler label.

Jones said she enjoyed the experience of putting the fishing poles together and hiking in the woods.

She attended the camp as a positive example to the children.

"I came to encourage the kids that you can do anything," said Jones. "It is important to learn the steps to be independent for life."

Members of the non-profit Indianapolis Thunder joined the group to let the blind and visually impaired take a swing at the ball. Thunder is affiliated with the National Beep Baseball Association.

Campers of all ages and sizes took on the challenge, encouraging others who were up at bat and each took a turn at the plate. An under-hand pitch was thrown in the batter's zone and when the batter heard the word pitch and a beep, they were instructed to swing.

Not only did campers experience new activities and socialize but the volunteers and families were able to interact and learn a lot from the blind as well.

Lovati said that since the prevalence of blindness is pretty small, people do not understand that the blind do everything an average person does.

"They just do it differently. Not less, just different," said Lovati. "It (the camp) shows the face of blindness."

Picture #1: Mika Baugh helps Susan Jones with gripping a bat as she gets ready for her turn to bat during a game of beeping softball. Photo by Bob Wellinski

Picture #2: Noah Mondor reels iin his hook while fishing Saturday. 

Picture #3: Chris Meyer takes a swing during Beep Softball - a variation of baseball that uses softballs and bases emanating sounds.