Wendell Niepagen Greenhouses in Bloomington has donated flowers that the Bloomingotn Kiwanis Club will be selling for Mother’s Day. (Photo courtesy Bloomington Kiwanis)

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Camp Limberlost will be able to take in more children this summer because of the success of a flower sale.

This year’s Bloomington Kiwanis flower sale is May 7 through Mother’s Day outside the Shoppes at Hills in Normal.

Kiwanis marketing chairwoman Gail Dobbins said the flowers pay for children to go to the camp at Lake Bloomington’s East Bay Camp. She said Camp Limberlost, which was created in 1931, helps children learn confidence through social interaction.

“Quite often at meetings, they’ll come back and tell us what they’ve grown up to be and what impact this had on their lives,” Dobbins said.

Teachers locally select which children ages eight to 10 would benefit most from the program.

“Maybe they don’t have friends,” Dobbins said. “Maybe they have trouble working with other kids. Maybe they are just very shy and awkward.”

Dobbins says Kiwanis will be able to send 130 children to the camp this year – compared to 100 last year, because the flowers have sold so well in the past.

Kiwanis purchased the flowers from Wendell Niepagen Greenhouses in Bloomington at wholesale prices. Sales times are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 7-9 and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 10.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].