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The People: The Gerstman Family
The Cause: The Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation
Garden City, NY -- In 1970, tragedy struck the Gerstman family when Harvey and Carol Gerstman's daughter, Lisa Beth, was killed in a summer camp bus accident. Because camp had been such a joy in Lisa Beth's life, the Gerstmans knew they wanted to start a foundation in her name. They wanted to bring that same summer camp joy Lisa Beth felt to other children. When Lisa Beth's brother, Dan, heard the Cross Island YMCA (CIYMCA) was looking for funds to help send physically disabled children to summer camp, he knew it was the perfect way to keep Lisa Beth's memory alive.
Dan soon learned that many disabled children spent the summer cooped up indoors while their able-bodied peers enjoyed camp. The added costs of one-one care and specialized busing for the disabled children prevented them from being able to participate in summer camp. The Gerstman family responded to this need by establishing the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation in 2003. Its mission is to provide "children with physical disabilities the opportunity to attend summer day and sleep-away camps in an integrated setting."
During its first summer, the foundation teamed up with CIYMCA and funded 20 physically disabled kids with varying degrees of disabilities, including cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and spinda bifida. The children were given the opportunity to experience the joys of summer camp, build lasting friendships and boost their self-confidence just the way Lisa Beth had during her summer camp experiences.
Over the last five years, the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation has been partnering with established, accredited camps that are "willing to launch integrated programs that include wheelchair accessible transportation, one-on-one swimming instruction, adaptive physical education equipment and training, all in a caring environment where the children participate in all regular camp activities." The Gerstman family believes that these programs are eye-opening experiences for both parties. Many camps have activities, such as wheelchair races, that help show able-bodied students what it means to be disabled. Last summer, the foundation partnered with six camps, which allowed a total of 150 physically disabled children to experience summer camp.
To learn more or donate to the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation, please visit http://lisabethgerstman.org
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