HANFORD - Hello mudda, hello fadda, here I am at Camp Leoni Meadows!

Escaping the Valley heat to the mountains near Placerville has become a favorite summer pastime for 15-year-old Laura Dishman of Lemoore.

Every summer, for six years now, Dishman spends her time enjoying the great outdoors even though she is legally blind.

"I like the food," she said of her camp experience, as well as swimming and canoeing. "I like it all."

Camp Leoni Meadows is part of 27 camps throughout the United States and Canada sponsored by Christian Record Services and supported by local businesses and organizations. The camp is held Aug. 3-10.

During the week, campers ages nine to 65 challenge themselves to gain greater self-confidence through horseback riding, canoeing, archery and hiking.

Car enthusiasts from Straight 8 Cruisers have made arrangements to send five local kids to camp this year, including Dishman.

"We are a non-profit," said Jimmy Robbins, member of Straight 8 Cruisers.

According to Robbins, money raised from the successful car show held in June went toward helping several youth groups in the community.

Upon hearing about the National Camp for the Blind, members of Straight 8 Cruisers agreed to help out this organization as well.

"The majority of the money came from sponsorships and merchants," Robbins said. "The merchants are a big part of our car show. They finance our car show. We appreciate their generosity. This is for those five kids who ordinarily wouldn't do these things without this camp."

According to Christian Record Services District Director Joyce Shobe, "many of those who attend CRS camp do not have any visually impaired friends at home. This is the only place that they get to be with other kids who are visually impaired, especially if they are mainstreamed in school. So Laura, for instance, looks forward to being with kids she only sees once a year. "We do everything they do at regular camp."

National Camp for the blind is free to those who qualify.

"You have to be legally or totally blind to go to camp," Shobe said.

In the Western region, the summer camp is held at Leoni Meadows, near Placerville; while winter camp is in Winter Park, Colo.

Dishman is hoping to try out skiing this year, too.

Christian Record Services began in 1899 providing Braille for the blind and then branching out providing large print and talking books and magazines on cassette tape.

"I like to read magazines and stuff," said Dishman, who also receives services provided by CRS.

CRS also offers scholarships to legally blind people striving to obtain a college education.

The National Camp for Blind Children-Adults started in 1967 as a way to share the wonders of nature with the visually impaired and provides opportunities for those who wouldn't necessarily have them at home.

"We try to do crafts of things that they would use at home," Shobe said. "We have knitting machines where we thread the machine and they do all the work. They make slippers and pillows and scarves."

Summer camp is a seven-day camp filled with fun activities and lasting friendships.

For more than 103 years CRS has provided new opportunities for persons of all ages who are blind or visually disabled. Each year approximately 100,000 lives are changed by services provided by CRS without cost.

All contributions to CRS are tax deductible.

"It's a real joy for me to help someone achieve something they never thought they could do," Shobe said, "and to provide a service that is so meaningful and help them to adjust to being visually impaired."

If you know someone who needs the services of CRS, such as the reading services or the camping services, call district director Joyce Shobe at 582-3364.

To learn more about CRS visit www.christianrecord.org.

The reporter may be reached at bswarm@pulitzer.net

(July 27, 2003)