Camp Villa Marie will be held June 8-12, and a few spots remain. The camp is designed specifically for children with special needs ages 6-18.
Southern Nebraska Register
Many children are blessed to enjoy summer camp experiences like fishing, boating, horseback riding, swimming, crafts, cookouts, campfire and sleeping in a tent.
For children with special needs, such a summer camp might be out of the question. Not, however, for children at Camp Villa Marie, a camp designed specifically for children with special needs.
The first “Camp Villa Marie” was held in the mid-1990s, sponsored by Villa Marie School for Exceptional Children in Waverly, which was founded in 1964. By the 1990s, the school’s enrollment was down to only six students and there was talk of closing the school. The summer camp idea was proposed, and it took off like wildfire.
The Marian Sisters, who have staffed Villa Marie since it opened, have also led the camps, with the Villa Marie principal traditionally serving as the camp director. Sister Deanna Wolcott, M.S., served at the first camp and has helped at countless camps since then.
“It is so much fun to see the kids hanging out with each other, playing and doing activities together,” she said.
The first summer, Villa Marie welcomed a good number of first-time campers, and that fall the enrollment increased dramatically. Sister Peggy Kucera, M.S., former Villa Marie principal, said the camp is a “great way to meet and interact with new special needs children and to meet their parents who may be looking at Villa Marie as a possible school choice for their child.”
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Courtesy photos
Although the event is a Catholic camp, any child with special needs, Catholic or not, is welcome to attend Camp Villa Marie. An integral part of Camp Villa Marie is daily Mass. The Mass setting, in a peaceful outdoor environment, naturally lifts one’s heart to Jesus, present in the Eucharist. A Mass celebrated at the Holy Family Shrine near Gretna, on the way to an adventure at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, is one of the special activities.
Camp Villa Marie is made possible through the help of generous benefactors. Long-time Villa Marie supporter and current Advisory Board Chairman Nick Cusick opened his home on Pine Lake the first year for fishing and boating, and the Villa Marie campers have enjoyed going there annually, often catching their first fish there. Campers also enjoy swimming at the home of Villa Marie’s volunteer basketball coach Matt Jilek. Villa Marie’s neighbor, Darren Morton, has entertained the campers at his farm with activities that include horseback riding, go-kart and Jeep rides, a petting zoo, and yard games. Many of these activities are “firsts” for the campers. The Knights of Columbus of the Cathedral of the Risen Christ Parish in Lincoln have also provided a cookout at camp the past few years.
Arts and crafts are a highlight. Sister Deanna introduced the campers to leather craft the first year. A few years later, Deb Breuer of Auburn began making the trip to Waverly every summer to do crafts with the campers. She continued to be a major part of Camp Villa Marie until her death in 2024.
The camp week culminates in a cookout, a campfire with songs and s’mores, and the opportunity to sleep in tents on the last night of camp, all compliments of Kurt Svoboda, who has provided these activities since the very first camp. He also prepares a breakfast the next morning, as sleepy campers emerge from their tents. Again, for many campers, sleeping in a tent is a first-time experience.
Camp Villa Marie not only provides enjoyment for the campers, but welcomes numerous volunteers. Students from diocesan Catholic high schools have served as camp counselors from the beginning. Most earn all of their senior service hours, while having fun. They often build lasting relationships with the campers and many continue to volunteer at Villa Marie during the school year.
Sister Jeanette Rerucha, current principal, said many camp counselors have expressed their gratitude for the experience, saying they enjoyed the opportunity and recommending it for others. One recently told her serving as a counselor inspired the student to major in special education in college.
Camp Villa Marie has changed over the years, but the basics have remained the same, especially the fun and the friendships that are forged. The friendships have been nurtured and renewed by the addition of a one-day Alumni Camp in 2019. Students from Bishop Neumann High School in Wahoo, led by Gery Kenny and Eva Fujan, spend the entire day running the camp for both campers and camp alumni, as well as doing many jobs around the school. The day usually culminates in a water fight, Dilly Bars, a dance party, and new friendships.
Camp Villa Marie will be held June 8-12, and a few spots remain. It is designed specifically for children with special needs ages 6-18. For more information, to register a child, or to volunteer, please contact Sister Jeanette at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , call Villa Marie School at 402-786-3625 or check the Villa Marie website for an online application.
