By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – A summer camp for children with autism is hosting a garage sale to raise money to help more families attend.
Craig Luchtefeld is a board member for Autism McLean and the Bloomington-Normal Young Professionals Kiwanis Club which is asking for donated items for a garage sale on April 16 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Crossroads Center, 310 Wylie Drive, Normal.
“Raising a child with a disability, it often costs a lot more to raise that child than a typical child, so any money we can provide those parents is a good thing,” Luchtefeld said.
Camp Takoda offers autistic children a natural outdoor setting for things like canoeing, swimming and horseback riding, things some autistic children might shy away from on their own.
“My son is not the ‘outdoorsy’ type,” Luchtefeld said of his 11-year-old on, “but every year, he loves the camp. He loves being out there. There’s so many physical things those kids can do they otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to do.”
The money raised will cover the cost of the estimated 40 or more children to attend Camp Takoda at Lake Bloomington in June. The cost per child is about $250.
Anyone interested in donating items ahead of the sale can drop them off April 11, 13 or 15 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Crossroads Center. Call (309) 319-6006 to arrange for donations outside these times. All unsold items will be donated to local charities.
Admission to the garage sale is free.
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
