All-Stars Score With Campers

MARTINSVILLE -ÊThe North-South All-Star football team has been practicing all week, but the players took a break Wednesday evening to visit Camp Riley.

Camp Riley is a summer getaway for children ages eight to 18 with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. It was developed in 1955 in Bradford Woods to help disabled children challenge their boundaries with various outdoor activities.

According to Carol Stone, director of the summer camp, the activity night with the football players "is one of the kids' most favorite activities all summer long."

And Tuesday night was no exception. The North All-Star team, including NorthWood's Charlie Roeder and Warsaw's Ross Kesler, and South All-Star team joined forces with about 60 campers at Camp Riley for a night of activities and fun.

"For 45 years, Camp Riley has given physically challenged children an amazing opportunity," said Joan Shea, the director of Riley Memorial Hospital. "The fact that you football players come down here and donate your time is wonderful. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these children, it's something very special for them.

"Before we begin, I would like to point out that you are normal in your own way in that you are all football players. These children are normal in their own way as well. They are all physically handicapped, but they are individuals as well. This will be a unique experience for everyone here tonight."

As the campers were filing into the open parking lot where the activities took place, the football players got a bit of advice from one of the counselors as well.

"These kids have super, super-high energy levels, and believe me, they will wear you out," said Vicky Derringer. "They like it when you're loud. In fact, the louder the better."

And the football players delivered. When the counselors started chants to break the ice, the football players and campers joined right in by repeating what was said.

Several chants later, the teams got down to business. Football players and campers were divided into teams and performed several activities such as passing oranges under their chins and transferring cotton balls from the ground to a bowl on one football player's head with a spoon.

But for Kesler, the best activity of the evening was the relay race. Campers and football players had to move water from a bucket to a tin can about 10 feet away with a sponge.

"I think the relay race was my favorite," said Kesler. "It was really fun. The kids were great."

"Yeah, Kesler did well on the relay," said Roeder. "Maybe it because of his quickness, or maybe he's just good at relays."

Although the activities were fun for all involved and the football players will take special memories with them, Kesler and Roeder learned an important lesson from Wednesday's activities.

"It really made me realize how lucky we are," said Kesler. "I also think the group got together tonight."

"It was a bonding experience," said Roeder. "We came together as a big unit with this activity."

"This was a really neat experience," said Kesler. "Although the kids had disabilities, everyone was equal here tonight. That was great."

Kesler and Roeder will team up Saturday for the North-South All-Star game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at North Central High School in Indianapolis. The proceeds from the game will go to Camp Riley and the Football Hall of Fame.