By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

DESTREHAN – Harry M. Hurst Middle School hosted Camp Shriver this week, a three-day summer sports program for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
Campers formed teams with program volunteers, called partners, and participated in games of flag football, soccer, bocce, tennis, volleyball and bowling. The activities are meant to foster sports skills and improve individual sports performance but are also meant to build friendships between athletes and partners in a fun environment.
When they were not playing sports, athletes received interactive education about eating healthy, sun safety, staying hydrated, not smoking, avoiding germs, exercise and nutrition that encouraged them to continue the lessons at home. Athletes received awards and recognition at the culmination of the camp. They were also treated to pizza, cotton candy and snowballs.
Tai Bierria, 15, participated in the camp as a partner with her volleyball team. Bierria, a rising sophomore, has been volunteering since she was a freshman, and hopes to use the skills she built at the camp to coach volleyball one day.
“Every day I see them getting more and more excited about coming here,” she said of the athletes. “Even on the breaks, we’ll be just passing by, and they’ll come in and help out. They’re really excited to do this.”
Theodore Bazile, 39, said he enjoys learning new sports and appreciates the social aspect of the camp.
“(They) show me how to do better things in sports, like how to play with teammates and pass the ball around,” he said.
Bazile also participated in the Special Olympics Torch Run this year. Bazile has participated in Camp Shriver for serveral years and also plays basketball in his spare time.
Louisiana’s Camp Shriver has been go  ing on since 2006, when Eunice Kennedy Shriver took part in the first Louisiana Camp Shriver in Baton Rouge. The mobile pro gram is organized by Special Olympics Louisiana  and moves through 13 territories in the state of Louisiana each summer. The organization’s Bayouland territory includes the parishes of St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, Assumption, Grand Isle, North and South Lafourche and Terrebonne. Camp Shriver has already been hosted in Shreveport, Lafayette and Baton Rouge this year.
Craig Oser, director of volunteers for Special Olympics Louisiana, said Special Olympics Louisiana is always looking to expand the program. Camp Shriver Bayouland currently averages about 60 athletes.
“I think it’s been pretty positive. Every body’s having a good time. This camp’s been going on for a few years now, and it’s been growing every year. We’re always looking to grow these camps and make them bigger and better. The camp is three days right now, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing if we added another day.”
 For more information about volunteering or participating in Camp Shriver, visit www.laso.org.