Jen McCoy / Daily Register
Bill Tierney lets Northwoods client Jill Oliver steer his boat Friday, much to the delight of “Captain Jill,” at the annual Day at the Lake event at Swan Lake outside of Portage.

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Day at the Lake, Aug. 1, 2008

When you have a cognitive or physical disability, your life often is steered by others. But on Friday, 30 clients of Northwoods Inc. of Wisconsin took the helm of their own ship at the fourth annual Day at the Lake event at Swan Lake outside Portage.

Jill Oliver, a Northwoods client with a southern drawl, was happy to let others know she was now a lady of the lake after grabbing the wheel for a boat ride.

"I sure did drive the boat. I'm a captain now," Oliver said.

Bill Tierney and his wife, Shirley, volunteered their time and use of their pontoon boat for the third year in a row.

"It's just to see them have such a great time," Shirley, of Portage, said.

Mary Carmichael, a client on their boat, was also given a chance to steer the course. Oliver took a photograph of her friend at the wheel. Also on board for the ride were clients Travis Jessen (who enjoyed the wake of the passing boats) and the quiet Larry "Panama Jack" Gastrow, who got the nickname Friday for wearing a woven hat with pucca shells.

The event is anticipated all year by the clients of Northwoods, a nonprofit Portage organization supporting independence of adults with disabilities. Shawna Fudaley, certified nursing assistant for Northwoods, said that the first day in August is boldly marked on her clients' calendars.

"This is like our Super Bowl, and I don't know who gets more excited, the staff or the clients," Fudaley said. "This is a day when we don't have to be on a tight schedule and we're all together."

Thirty clients from Northwoods arrived on the hot Friday morning to Swan Lake, while the previous years were overcast and rainy. A speed boat and multiple pontoon boats were tied to the dock like race horses ready to be let out of the gate and run. One of those boats belonged to John Berst Jr., the originator of the event, who has garnered volunteer support and food donations each year. Berst lives in Illinois, but has a home on Swan Lake.

A friend of Berst's inspired the event when he told Berst the story of an event taking blind individuals out on a boat trip and receiving the support of volunteers to make it happen. Four years later, Berst is seasoned at organizing his event for the clients of Northwoods.

"It's like a reunion now because I recognize everybody," Berst said. "I visit in December and they're already asking about the Day at the Lake. I keep doing it because they look forward to it."

Berst credits the Portage Boat Club for allowing the clients to use the facility, as private parties and groups generally are not allowed to use it.

For individuals in wheelchairs, the ability to be in the water or on the sand was a release. Elaine McMahon, a client, received back support from staff member Barb Erickson so she her arms and legs could feel weightless for a while. Tim Kaja, also a client, could not hide his smile while splashing his feet in the lake water.

The first time the event was held, it did not include individuals in wheelchairs, Berst said.

"My father is an amputee because he had cancer. So, after the first year he was upset because we didn't have anyone in wheelchairs out here," Berst said. "We added them the next year, which complicated things, but it's worth it."

Berst said the number of people who volunteer grows each year. Jimmy Robinson, 17, assisted in the event last year after Berst approached him.

"I thought it sounded like a good time, so I said sure. I helped Northwoods campers onto the boats and kept them company," Robinson, of Portage, said. "This year I did a little wake-boarding to entertain them."

Robinson, who is working as a lifeguard at the Kalahari Resort this summer, asked co-worker Eric Schroeder if he wanted to volunteer for the event this year. Schroeder, 19, was also part of the entertainment on the lake.

"I used to ski for The Tommy Bartlett Show, but now I work at the Kalahari as a lifeguard, and that's how we met," Schroeder, of Wisconsin Dells, said.

Robinson, who will be a junior at Portage High School, said he recognizes that individuals with different abilities are sometimes treated differently, but does not agree with it.

"They're just like us, and they're fun," Robinson said. "They should be given all the same chances we have."

jmccoy@capitalnewspapers.com

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