Exploring Boundaries

by Tom Heinen
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Tuesday, July 22, 1997

Nervous fingers pulled on the toggle switch, and instantly an explosive charge hurled a nearly two-pound fireworks shell heavenward with a whoomp.

Another journey into the wonders of the universe and the mysteries of the human soul began for 52 blind or severely vision-impaired children and adults at Camp Wakonda near Oxford in Marquette County this month.

No matter that most could not see flashes of light--let alone colors--bursting overhead seconds later. One at a time, they pulled a switch, felt the impact on their eardrums, and heard volunteer Brian Gillstrom describe the exploding colors and patterns.

For Ronald Fellberg, a National Camps for Blind Children coordinator, that's much of what the annual one-week Wisconsin camp is about.

"We endeavor to help them overcome their fears," said Fellberg. "We try to help them understand you can accomplish something in life."

Many campers don't need encouragement as much as good old-fashioned opportunity.

"It's always surprising to me how willing they are to do stuff," said Joey Steffen, 21, waterfront director at the camp. "Most of them are quite adventurous. Some of the people, you have to get into the water with them and help them. Others go barreling into the water as fast as they can and start splashing everyone."

Campers explore boundaries, or just have fun, in many ways. They zoom around on Sea-Doo personal watercraft behind a helper, paddle a canoe, or ride a water sled towed behind a speed boat. They climb onto horses. They produce talent shows. They paint decorative ceramic figures, often with a volunteer or staff member guiding their hands.

They hear lectures on a variety of topics. And they participate in nondenominational religious services.

This year, for the first time, they also played basketball, Fellberg said. A helper tapped the rim with a cane to help them estimate its location.

The fireworks display--also a first-time event--was donated by Bartolotta Fireworks Co. Gillstrom, who is president of Midwest Die Casting Co. in Milwaukee, volunteers to help Bartolotta put on fireworks shows. His company also helps support the camp.

Not knowing how the campers would respond to the noise, Gillstrom and two other Bartolotta volunteers included only a few aerial bombs and no whistling fireworks in the show's finale.

"They want us back next year," Gillstrom said. "They want all the noise we can bring. They loved it."

That's an understatement, according to Joseph Weakland, 20, a camper from West Chicago.

"Oh man, I thought that was wacky because you flip one little electrical switch, and boom, it goes off," said Weakland, who has been blind since birth.

Weakland, who is studying computer applications at a community college, has come to the camp for several years. Most of the activities aren't new to him anymore, but he never tires of them, especially the water activities.

"I love it," he added. "I get to go on a boat that goes real fast and bounces over waves."

Except for a $25 registration fee, all camp costs are paid by Christian Record Services, which has organized such one-week camps around the country for the past 30 years through its National Camps for Blind Children program.

Camp Wakonda is owned and run by the Wisconsin Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which leases the facility for the program for the blind each year.

Although originally intended for children, some campers have continued to return as adults, and some other adults have been allowed to join them. So the participants range in age from 9 to 84, with the majority under 30, Fellberg said. Many have other physical or mental disabilities in addition to being legally blind.

"It's our most challenging and our favorite and most rewarding camp," Steffen said. "I think, for me, it's because the people aren't afraid to be who they are. Most of them have no facades. They speak their mind. And that's impressive to me, because most of us 'normal people' don't do that."