WEST MICHIGAN - Happy campers using wheelchairs are overcoming incredible challenges with the help of Mary Free Bed.
The Mary Free Bed Jr. Wheelchair Sports Camp is helping children with disabilities bond with one another and take on incredible challenges. It's a week-long day camp taking place at GVSU in Allendale, giving campers of all ages the chance to come together for fun, and to push the boundaries.
Eleven-year-old Mackenzie Haag has been using a wheelchair to tackle day-to-day life and says it's all about perspective.
"Maybe you can't use your legs or maybe you can use your legs a bit, but either way, there's a possibility for you to do something," said Haag.
The children are accepted and empowered at the camp where kids experience a newfound freedom, playing sports like basketball, dodgeball, swimming and softball. Maria Besta, Manager of Mary Free Bed's Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports Department, says it's a camp unlike any in the state.
"When you're a child with a disability, you don't have the same opportunities as your same able-bodied friends at school, so this is a way to show them that they too can play sports," said Besta.
The camp is free for day-campers and $175 for over-night campers more than 45 miles away.
