Media Contact: Anysa Holder

Director of Marketing, Easter Seals NJ (732) 955-8376

Aholder@nj.easterseals.com

For Immediate Release:

Rotary Service Clubs Host Annual Carnival Day 2016 For Easterseals New Jersey’s Special Needs Campers

– Individuals with special needs like John and Billy enjoy accessible recreation, socialization, and plain old

summer fun at Camp Merry Heart –

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – July, 13 2016 – Rotary Club District 7470 and Easterseals New Jersey, a nonprofit assisting children and adults with disabilities and special needs, will host their annual Service Club Carnival Day at Easterseals’ Camp Merry Heart on Wednesday, August 10 in Hackettstown, NJ. For over 90 years, Rotary clubs have worked with local Easterseals organizations nationally as volunteers, event sponsors, or have offered program support through direct grants and gifts. Every year they turn Camp Merry Heart into a carnival-like atmosphere with waterslides, inflatable rides, games, karaoke, sweets, and a barbecue cookout for campers with disabilities. This year’s festivities kick-off at 2 PM and include a thank-you ceremony. “The support we have received from the Rotary Service Club and its members over the years has been invaluable. Our campers’ medical and behavioral requirements have increased over the past years, and while we continue to work to meet their needs, more support is always needed,” says Kim Minerley, Director of Camping and Recreation for Easterseals New Jersey. Easter seals New Jersey acquired the 123-acre campsite in 1954. Camp Merry Heart is one of the few camps in the tri-state area that provides accessible recreational opportunities for all ages and ability levels, year-round. These recreational programs not only offer fun activities with health benefits not readily available to those with disabilities, but also promote independence and accomplishment through self-determination and group participation. Minerley also noted she enjoys providing youth and adults with recreational opportunities in an environment where they can be themselves, socialize and have a break from their regular routines. “Caregivers also enjoy a much-needed respite knowing their loved one is safe and well-cared for, whether here at the camp or during one of our fully accessible out-of-state trips.” One of Camp Merry Heart’s biggest fans is John (upper right, with camp counselor) who has been coming to camp since 2003. Passionate about being outdoors and connecting with his peers, John enjoys fishing, music and arts and crafts. What John looks forward to most about his time at camp though, is the companionship and friendship he finds with camp counselors and other campers each year.

Proud camper Billy (left, with counselor) takes the record as the longest running returnee to camp. He began attending Easterseals’ Camp Merry Heart at the age of 13 in 1965. Today, as a mature adult, Billy is adored by staff and revered by other campers.

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Looking back, Billy’s parents express how pleased they were that he took to camp so easily. “Billy has always been a real homebody. The friendships he’s made over the years – and from all over the world – have been paramount in his ability to interact with people. It is the reason he still looks forward to camp every summer.”

For more information, please visit (www.eastersealsnj.org/camp) and/or contact Kim Minerley, Director of Camping and Recreation, at (908) 852-3896 or email kminerley@nj.easterseals.com. About Easterseals New Jersey Easterseals New Jersey is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that has enriched the lives of people living with disabilities and special needs, and those who care about them, by providing opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities since 1948. Annually, nearly 9,000 people or families in New Jersey affected by developmental disabilities, including autism, physical disabilities, mental illness and other special needs participate in programs designed to help them address life’s challenges and achieve their personal goals. For more information on Easterseals New Jersey and its statewide disability services, please contact (732) 257-6662 or visit www.eastersealsnj.org or www.facebook.com/eastersealsnj. *Note: additional photos and video clips available on request

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