"Camp Fish Tales is a nonprofit summer camp for kids and adults of all abilities. One of the founders, Don Wackerle, had a son with a disability and he traveled to Grand Rapids to a camp. That two-hour-plus drive became difficult for him, so he started looking in our area for some land. He found this 67 acre property that we sit on today. We received it from the Bay County Road Commission on a 100-year lease for $10 a year, and we pay each year in February.
No one sits on the sidelines here, because we have accommodations and modifications for everything. For example with the rock wall, we use a special harness that enables people who may not be able to use their hands or legs to be able to climb to the top. There is absolutely nothing like seeing someone get to the top of that rock wall and ring that bell! Especially when they thought they thought they may not be able to do it, and with all the campers cheering them on below, it's absolutely unreal.
Recently, we purchased a Mobi-Mat and a MobiChair. That enables campers that are in wheelchairs to be transferred into that MobiChair, and directly go right into the water. The chair floats, so they don't need to be transferred again. That has just been such an amazing piece of equipment that we added this year.
We have an archery range, we have 3D targets as well as regular archery targets out there. We use different techniques based upon the campers needs so they can still stand behind the bow and shoot it. We have swimming, fishing, paddle boards, paddle boats, kayaks, and canoes. We have talent shows. Bubba & The Bikers come on every Thursday, we do a big talent show for them and have milk and cookies with the bikers. We also have a dance, award ceremonies, arts and crafts, singing and outdoor cooking. We make anything from s’mores to hot dogs, to outdoor pizza sandwiches over the fire.
With our programs, we want to pick something that's fun and different from things they do at home, then we think about different ways to adapt it. It might be a change so that somebody can go into a normal camp setting in a wheelchair and not have to go over rocky terrains or stumps. On our nature hikes and scavenger hunts, we like them to get outside, be active and enjoy nature. We think through how to navigate our trails if it might be a rainy day. We think about the specifics for individuals, since we are a smaller camp it makes it a lot easier to do that.
They are outdoors from 8:00 in the morning until 10:30 at night, so they create lasting memories. This is also unique because when they age out of school, this provides them with an opportunity to still have that connection to a group of people that they enjoy seeing when the spend time at summer camp.”
– Shannon Forshee, Executive Director, and Tim Rinner, Camp Director, Camp Fish Tales
