BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Lions Club works to cover the entire cost of its week-long camp for young people with special needs.

The camp is a big deal for children with physical or developmental challenges, being away from their families, getting a little bit of independence and having a lot of fun. There's also a two-week camp for children with diabetes.

"It's a lot of interaction between the children. Swimming, a lot of nature activities, those types of things. It changes the lives of the children and the families. We've had every sort of response from the children that they want to go back. They've done things never been able to do before by participating in this," said Bill Jeansonne, president of Lakeshore Lions Club.

Several Lions Clubs cover the entire cost of the camp and transportation, made possible by their annual Christmas poinsettia sale. Last year, they sold more than 2,000 of the gorgeous plants to help make a difference.

Lakeshore Lions Club of Baton Rouge is inviting those who are interested in attending camp to meet some of the parents and children with special needs who've already experienced the opportunity.

The informational meeting will take place at the Baton Rouge Marriott on Monday, March 6, and the doors are set to open at 11 a.m. Registration and information is available on their website.