Special needs camp hosts basketball game at Carmichael

Eighteen young adults with autism and other special needs finished a one-week summer camp Friday with a basketball game at Carmichael Arena, where the Tar Heel Biscuits defeated Team Nancy 32 by just one point.

Extraordinary Ventures, a non-profit organization that aims to provide employment opportunities for young adults with special needs in the community, hosted their Spectrum Skills Camp for the second year in a row this week.

Roger Hudson, an Extraordinary Ventures volunteer, said the primary focus of the camp was basketball, but campers also participated in activities such as zumba, arts and crafts and field sports.

Stefan Hansen, director of social activities at Extraordinary Ventures and a senior at UNC, said the camp is designed to provide social as well as physical opportunities for the campers.

“Typically whenever you have these young adults and they enter the real world, they don’t have a lot of time to go out to camps and enjoy their free time,” Hansen said.

“A couple of these guys, they look forward to this the entire year — the chance to get out and have some fun with friends and meet new people.”

Hansen said the game at Carmichael Arena is the biggest event of the week.

“Carmichael — the scrimmage — is just the pinnacle moment of the entire camp,” he said.

“Some of these guys just get so fired up and so excited about this. I love seeing the smiles on their face as they just come out of their shell and just truly just have fun.”

Shau-Hong Toscano, whose 23-year-old son Ewan scored four points in Friday’s game, said she appreciates the program.

“It’s good because it’s not just one week of camp,” she said.

“They actually run an employment program for people with disabilities, and there is an activity center for them to hang out.”

Hudson said Extraordinary Ventures provides employment opportunities such as selling scented candles and cleaning city buses.

“There are different ways where they can get gainful employment where they normally don’t, and it gives them a sense of responsibility in the community,” he said.

Hudson said the best part about working with Extraordinary Ventures is giving back.

“Just knowing that you’re helping someone fulfill their dream of coming here to Carmichael Arena and playing basketball at a prestigious place such as UNC — that’s the best part.”