An annual camp named for a former OU football player occurred this week in Norman to give children with special needs a unique outdoor experience.
The J.D. McCarty Center’s Camp Claphans aims to provide a fun-filled summer camp adventure for children with developmental disabilities.
Former OU football player Sam Claphan, whom the camp was named after, was involved in special education before he died at age 45 in 2001. Claphan worked at multiple schools across the state as a special education teacher to ensure a positive learning experience for students battling disabilities.
“He ended up being a really good player, but more than that he was a really good person,” said former coach Barry Switzer who coached Claphan from 1974 to 1978. Switzer described Claphan as a strong player who presented himself well.
The J.D. McCarty Center is a rehabilitative hospital for children up to the age of 21 with special needs. At the center, patients are offered care in therapeutic, medical and clinical services.
Camp Claphans has five sessions per summer, each lasting from Sunday afternoon to Wednesday evening. Six boys and six girls attend each session, with one counselor per camper. The cost is $325 with some scholarships available to eligible families.
“Camp Claphans’ mission is to provide kids with a camping experience that a typically developing child would experience at summer camp,” said Greg Gaston, the McCarty Center’s marketing director.
Gaston’s primary goal is to foster friendships and establish lasting connections between the campers and volunteers.
“That’s what’s supposed to happen at camp, you’re supposed to develop these kinds of memories and connections to people,” he said.
This summer marks the sixth year of Camp Claphans. The camp is mainly supported by fundraisers, the largest one being the Norman Conquest Bicycle Tour which raises about $10,000 a year. This year it was on July 14.
Gaston said he believes the camp is tailored to meet the needs of every camper, no matter their circumstances.
“Everything we do here at the McCarty Center is about two things: creative problem solving and adaptation,” Gaston said.
