Because of Camp Riley, this dad is dreaming bigger for his son

Campers at Camp Riley have shattered perceived limitations, made new friends, and reached higher achievements for nearly 70 years. Luke Druetzler attended Camp Hi-Lite, a Camp Riley session designed for campers with Down syndrome, for the first time last year — in fact, it was his first time going anywhere by himself. His dad Chaz shares how that experience has impacted their family far beyond last summer:

As soon as we left after dropping him off on Sunday afternoon, I felt like we had possibly made a mistake. I was waiting for the camp staff to call and say it wasn’t working out. But nobody called. Then another day went by. Then we received some photos of him having the time of his life. To my astonishment he completed the entire week of camp and had an amazing time. I’m always proud of him, but completing an entire week of overnight camp might be the thing that surprised me the most and made me even more proud of him.

The things that I took away from this experience go so far beyond just happiness that Luke had a fun week making new friends. It showed our family that Luke does want to be independent. He does want to try new things. He can try something new without mom and dad holding his hand. I don’t like to think that we as parents put Luke into a box or limit his opportunities for growth. However, this experience showed me that I can do a better job letting him have more independent experiences and he can do those things with success.

We often use Camp Riley as a motivator for Luke. He is a kid who thrives on routine, but the world doesn’t always work that way. When he needs to do something new that he doesn’t want to do, we take the opportunity to remind him about camp and that he can do new things. That week of camp made me more optimistic and imaginative about his future as an adult. It showed Luke, my wife, and me that we can all dream bigger going forward.