TSAO Adventure Weekend 2009
TSA of Ohio will again be hosting the annual Adventure Weekend for boys and
girls ages 7 through 17 who have been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. Our Ohio and Northern Kentucky members will have
priority for reservations. Registration is due by May 18.
The Adventure Weekend will begin at 6:30 P.M. on Friday, June 5, and end after
a family lunch at noon on Sunday, June 7, 2008, at the YMCA Willson Outdoor Center in Bellefontaine, Ohio. The Willson Outdoor
Center is located in the central part of Ohio about 50 minutes northwest of Columbus. The cost is $140 per child plus
$7 for each extra family member joining the Sunday lunch. Scholarships are available through the Mary Lou Bringardner Fund,
assuring that no adventurer is turned away for financial reasons. Click here for a sign-up form, which has many more details. (Requires Adobe Reader to be installed).
To apply for a scholarship, click on this form, print it out, and mail it in.
Sponsor an adventurer!
You can help make a summer so much more special for a young person with TS by sponsoring him or her so Adventure Weekend is affordable for them, when because of meds or other costs, it might not be.
If you’re interested, get in touch with the TSA of Ohio office at 800-543-2675, or e-mail us at admin@tsaohio.org.
A few Q&As
Q. What's the best part about the Adventure Weekend?
A. Everything! Most people who go look forward to returning year after year, like the swallows to Capistrano (or, OK, the buzzards to Hinckley). Many longtime friendships have been made at Camp Willson.
Q. Is it safe?
A. You bet! We have an extremely large, highly experienced, and well-trained team of leaders and counselors who have operated this event ever since its inception. The ratio of counselors to participants is very low, often one counselor for every two or three kids. All counselors must be trained, and the Adventure Weekend is insured by the National TSA. A nurse is on staff to help dispense medications and deal with any other medical issues that might arise.
Q. Do the kids really like it?
A. Are you kidding? They love it! Some, understandably, arrive with some uncertainties. But once they realize they are surrounded by other kids who have tics, they realize what an especially cool place it is. They don't want to leave on Sunday, and they can't wait to return the next year. Keep in mind that lots of kids live their whole lives without ever meeting another kid with Tourette's. So this is a really special event and place for that alone.
Q: Isn't it kind of expensive?
A: Not when you think about the fact that there are very few events like this anywhere in the U.S. To have one right here in Ohio is a real blessing for us. Were it not for the generosity of the Bringardner family and the staff of the YMCA's Camp Willson, it would cost hundreds of dollars more.