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Picnic joins deaf friends | The Janesville Gazette | Janesville, Wisconsin, USA
The pavilion was packed at West Park in Darien on Saturday afternoon. People of all ages greeted old friends as they navigated the crowds. Conversation flew as kindred spirits caught up on the past.
Yet the only sounds were the shrieks of children from the nearby playground, occasional laughter and the buzz of cicadas.
Most of the more than 500 picnic-goers couldn't even hear those sounds. They came from all over the state and beyond for the first annual picnic collaboration among the Delavan-based Southern Lakes Association of the Deaf, the Greater Milwaukee Association of the Deaf, the Madison Association of the Deaf and the Racine-Kenosha Deaf Club.
In the past, each club has hosted its own annual picnic, but the clubs decided it made more sense to gather deaf people from all over the area in one place, said Dean Kelly of Darien, the event chairman.
"We have four clubs in 60 miles, so why not work together?" he signed as an interpreter translated.
The expanded picnic, a fund-raiser for all four clubs, allowed more people to mingle. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people often make friends from all over the state through various events.
Omar Schmidt, 91, of New Berlin said he came to meet with old acquaintances.
"I like to see all the four clubs get together at the same time," he signed. "As deaf people, we're kind of isolated from each other … so it's nice to see old friends."
You didn't have to understand sign language to see that the participants were having a good time. People tapped each other on the shoulder as they recognized long-lost friends, and hands flew to express stories and news.
"The hearing culture is different from the deaf culture," signed Colleen Rains of Janesville. "This is how we picnic. Some of us travel from great distances."
Indeed, participants came from all over Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Some even came from California, Arizona, Iowa and Maryland, Kelly said.
Invitations were not limited to deaf people. Anyone who wanted to learn about sign language or deaf culture was welcome as well, Kelly said.
Many of the children at the picnic could hear because they were there with deaf parents. These children form a subculture all their own, said Ann Robbins, a professional interpreter from Wisconsin Rapids. Robbins herself can hear, but her mother is deaf. People such as Robbins are called CODA, Children of Deaf Adults, while younger ones are referred to as KODA, Kids of Deaf Adults.
The deaf and hearing children played together, which is just the way 10-year-old Greta Surprenant of Madison likes it.
"There's a lot of kids here to play with, and we're playing as a group," she signed. "I feel comfortable because we can all communicate. Hearing, deaf-it's all the same."
The pavilion was packed at West Park in Darien on Saturday afternoon. People of all ages greeted old friends as they navigated the crowds. Conversation flew as kindred spirits caught up on the past.
Yet the only sounds were the shrieks of children from the nearby playground, occasional laughter and the buzz of cicadas.
Most of the more than 500 picnic-goers couldn't even hear those sounds. They came from all over the state and beyond for the first annual picnic collaboration among the Delavan-based Southern Lakes Association of the Deaf, the Greater Milwaukee Association of the Deaf, the Madison Association of the Deaf and the Racine-Kenosha Deaf Club.
In the past, each club has hosted its own annual picnic, but the clubs decided it made more sense to gather deaf people from all over the area in one place, said Dean Kelly of Darien, the event chairman.
"We have four clubs in 60 miles, so why not work together?" he signed as an interpreter translated.
The expanded picnic, a fund-raiser for all four clubs, allowed more people to mingle. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people often make friends from all over the state through various events.
Omar Schmidt, 91, of New Berlin said he came to meet with old acquaintances.
"I like to see all the four clubs get together at the same time," he signed. "As deaf people, we're kind of isolated from each other … so it's nice to see old friends."
You didn't have to understand sign language to see that the participants were having a good time. People tapped each other on the shoulder as they recognized long-lost friends, and hands flew to express stories and news.
"The hearing culture is different from the deaf culture," signed Colleen Rains of Janesville. "This is how we picnic. Some of us travel from great distances."
Indeed, participants came from all over Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Some even came from California, Arizona, Iowa and Maryland, Kelly said.
Invitations were not limited to deaf people. Anyone who wanted to learn about sign language or deaf culture was welcome as well, Kelly said.
Many of the children at the picnic could hear because they were there with deaf parents. These children form a subculture all their own, said Ann Robbins, a professional interpreter from Wisconsin Rapids. Robbins herself can hear, but her mother is deaf. People such as Robbins are called CODA, Children of Deaf Adults, while younger ones are referred to as KODA, Kids of Deaf Adults.
The deaf and hearing children played together, which is just the way 10-year-old Greta Surprenant of Madison likes it.
"There's a lot of kids here to play with, and we're playing as a group," she signed. "I feel comfortable because we can all communicate. Hearing, deaf-it's all the same."