Bocce ball fun

The Rotary 2.0 Adventure Camp Program is in its third week of eight installments. This week, the group is getting into Slimy Science with all kinds of fun experiments happening. Last week was themed around the Amazing Race. Along with busing, biking, and walking around the community, the 10-14-year-old kids volunteered and did scavenger hunts.

On Wednesday, July 13, the Rotary 2.0 kids were playing bocce ball with the ECHO (Empowering Citizens for Health & Opportunity) Society members in the field between Central School and the Whitecourt & District Public Library. Emma Harper, the Recreation Coordinator for the Town of Whitecourt, said everyone had lots of fun. “The ECHO Society clients play a lot of bocce ball, so I thought it would be fun to get together and play.”

Harper said this was the first time the ECHO Society clients and the summer camp kids had joined forces to play together. “It came about a couple of years ago. We talked about doing bocce ball, but then COVID hit, and it never happened, but it stuck in my brain. I thought we could totally do this with the camp. Then it came to be, which is really exciting.”

Harper said that they had done events with the Seniors Circle members in the past but couldn’t do that this time. “They’ve been closed for quite a while and still aren’t open, so that wasn’t an option. This was nice to do and is completely different from what we would’ve done.”

The children were split into two groups, each taking turns playing bocce ball and volunteering at the Community Lunch Box, a short walk away. “They are sorting and learning what the Community Lunch Box does. They are learning what they are all about, what they raise money for, why they are important in our community, and the work they do,” explained Harper.

Cecile Blanchette and Talayna Despis were two of the ECHO Society clients playing bocce ball with the children. Despis said she liked showing the kids how to play and was having fun. Blanchette, who has played bocce for several years, said all ages could play. “It’s nice to have the kids here. We can show them how to play and then they will teach other people. It’s good for older people too. It doesn’t matter what age because you are never too old to learn new things.”

Bocce ball is very similar to bowling, a sport that Blanchette has played extensively. “I attended the Special Olympics in Vancouver for bowling. That’s why I like it. I already knew how to play it because of bowling.” She said it’s a sport where people with different abilities can play together, making it inclusive.

The Rotary 2.0 Adventure Camp runs from Monday to Friday from 1-4 pm and wraps up on August 26. Children can sign up daily or weekly and must be pre-registered. A maximum of twenty kids can join per week. Parents can still sign their children up if there’s space on any given week. “We do different themes. The kids meet new people, have new experiences, and interact with people they might not have interacted with before, and they do it in a fun environment.”

Harper said she enjoys seeing the program take on a life of its own. “I always find it so exciting when you create it, and then it just happens, and everyone naturally has a good time and gets along. It’s a sense of camaraderie with each other. It’s a happy heart moment for me.”

Upcoming weeks include Outside + Wild from July 25-29, with kids discovering the trails and bush in and around Rotary Park. Youth will make shelters, play survivor games, and enjoy time on the water slides.

In August, there are many different themes to look forward to. Mess It Up Week runs at the beginning of the month and speaks for itself. Kids will get messy with slip and slides, pudding drops and shaving cream twister. Midway through August is Creative Chaos, from the 15 to the 19, which will feature things like drawing, painting, and bleach t-shirt art.

The camps remain affordable thanks to sponsorship from the Rotary Club of Whitecourt for the 2.0 Adventure Camp and the younger one for ages 6-12. “It’s amazing,” said Harper. For more information on registering youth for camp, call the Allan & Jean Millar Centre at 780-778-3637 or visit https://rec.whitecourt.ca.