SPAR partners with Special Olympics to host sports camp

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation (SPAR), Special Olympics and other organizations are sponsoring a sports-focused camp.

On June 13-15, Camp Shriver will be held at the Princess Park Community Center, 931 Baker St. in Shreveport. The camp will run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day.

Activities:

• Bocce
• Tennis
• Flag football
• Softball/T-ball
• Volleyball

All participants participating in Camp Shriver need to complete a Special Olympics medical packet.

For more information, call Princess Park Community Center at (318) 673-7815.

History:

Camp Shriver has been happening in Shreveport-Bossier City for over a decade, and it has an extensive history.

Camp Shriver was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1962 and was started in her backyard. Her vision was that through sports, the lives of people with intellectual disabilities would be transformed and public perceptions would be changed forever.

One of the most important aspects of Camp Shriver was the interactions between children with special needs and typical children. She would recruit high school and college students to act as counselors for the camp, and it was almost a one-on-one situation, with 34 children, and 26 counselors.

To learn more about the history of Camp Shriver, visit https://www.specialolympics.org/about/history/camp-shriver.

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