Camp Riley, ESA, and Flowers

If you live in Indiana, you've probably heard of Riley Hospital for Children (also, I'm pretty sure that "Childrens" Hospital in The Fault in Our Stars is Riley, but that's just a guess). Riley does a lot of great things for children with chronic illness and injured children around the state of Indiana. They also have a summer camp program, Camp Riley, which is the state philanthropy for the Indiana chapters of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (ESA). Indiana ESA is actually celebrating 50 years of partnership with Camp Riley this year, and there are signs around Bradford Woods noting places that were built or donated from Epsilon Sigma Alpha.

The pavilion by the lake is a gift from ESA!

Camp Riley takes place at Bradford Woods, located about half an hour from the south side of Indianapolis. Patients from Riley Hospital are taken to Bradford Woods for a recreational therapy summer camp. There are three levels of Camp Riley - Riley 1 (staff : camper ratio of 1:1), Riley 2 (staff : camper ratio of 1:2), and Riley 3 (staff : camper ratio of 1:3). One of the great things about it is that all Riley kids can go, regardless of disability or financial situation. No camper is turned away.

This Saturday, myself and 4 other members of my ESA chapter, Eta Pi, went to Bradford Woods to help plant flowers and help get the site ready for the summer camp programs. Bradford Woods is 2500 acres of trails, lake, facilities, and recreational therapy areas. One of the things I thought was so awesome about it was that everything is universally accessible, so that any camper with a wheelchair can access every place that a camper without a wheelchair can access. Their amphitheater has ramps for each level so that campers with wheelchairs can access every level, and the seats fold up so that campers in wheelchairs can navigate through each row. The pool is even wheelchair-accessible - the shallow end is 3' deep and the deep end is 4', and the camp has special wheelchairs that are designed to go in the pool.

Eta Pi members on the stage of the amphitheater!

We spent our time planting flowers, weeding, and edging flower beds along the main entry sign, guard post, the various signs along the road leading into camp, and the decorative whiskey barrels around the property. The Bradford Woods employees were always stressing that every little bit of landscaping service helps - it's hard to keep up with 2500 acres!

Our hard work at the front entry sign!

It was so very cool to get to see one of the places that Indiana ESA chapters do so much for. I haven't been a part of ESA for very long, but I've already heard so much about Camp Riley. We were talking about going back sometime in the summer to see all the flowers we planted in bloom, as well as to see Camp Riley in action. I know I had a great time, and I loved getting to see this place I'd heard so much about and that does so much good for chronically ill and/or disabled kids. I really hope to go back soon. It's such a great place!

We found a Camp Riley sign!