Special needs campers fly high on new zipline

On Monday, June 23, 2014 representatives from the Finish Line Youth Foundation and CHAMP Camp participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony unveiling a new, fully accessible zip line at Bradford Woods in Martinsville, Indiana. The 370-foot zip line, funded by a grant from the Finish Line Youth Foundation, was designed to allow campers of all ability levels participating in the therapeutic summer camps at Bradford Woods to enjoy the unique experience. CHAMP Camp, which provides an overnight week-long summer camp experience for kids who have tracheostomies and those who require respiratory assistance, including the use of ventilators, was excited to unveil the new amenity which will serve an estimated 800 campers throughout the summer.

"At CHAMP Camp we are a can-do camp, and we listen to our kids throughout the years, and hear what they want to be able to do. And you know, this is just something that five to ten years ago we never thought we'd be able to do, either. But we just listen to the kids, hearing their desires and their heart in terms of what they want to be able to experience what other people are able to experience as well. We said, you know what this is something we can do. And we put our brains together and figured out a way to get this done for them," said Jennifer Kobylarz, executive director, CHAMP Camp.

See the new zip line in action >>