Manatee County dedicates 62 acres to Foundation for Dreams

At 21, Grayson Tullio said he’s not too old for camp.

The Lakewood Ranch resident has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a more aggressive form of the genetic disease that causes muscle degeneration. 

Currently, the Foundation for Dreams’ Dream Oaks Camp only serves children with special needs that are ages 7-17. But with a new, 62-acre campus next to Rye Preserve, the nonprofit is exploring programming for adults up to 30 who have special needs.

The foundation is leasing the property, formerly occupied by the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches, from Manatee County. 

A hopeful Tullio attended the dedication ceremony with his mom, Jennifer Tullio, on Nov. 20 at the foundation's new campus.

Tullio attended a camp in Washington over the summer, which made him want to return to his local camp at Dream Oaks. He attended day camps at the old Flying Eagle campus off of Upper Manatee River Road throughout high school. 

He said the logistics of the lifts and equipment his condition requires made him uncomfortable staying overnight, but he was still able to swim, craft and make new friends during the day.

“Foundation for Dreams is providing something that nobody else in Manatee County or Southwest Florida is providing to our underserved residents,” Commissioner George Kruse said. “Other nonprofits aren’t doing it, but Elena (Cassella, the executive director) and her team are.” 

As the property owner, Manatee County is paying up to $1 million to bring the buildings and grounds into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

The property includes the administration building, a learning center, two houses, three cottages, a pool and a basketball court, all of which need work in one form or another.

County Administrator Charlie Bishop said the dedication was four years in the making, and the county will be working closely with the foundation on improvements. 

Since Hurricane Milton made landfall in early October, both the county’s property management team and foundation volunteers have pitched in to clean up debris on the property. 

Board member Lance Plowman organized 60 volunteers to spend a day cutting down trees. He also coordinated with the humanitarian aid organization Team Rubicon, who sent an additional 30 licensed professionals to assist. The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance sent volunteers to work at the camp.

The county hauled the debris and will cover any hurricane damage to the buildings, which included some roof damage. The repair costs will be submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for reimbursement. 

Separate from the hurricane damage, Cassella described the work ahead as “significant.” In addition to building renovations, the parking lot and driveway need to be resurfaced, wheelchair accessible sidewalks need to be poured and the pool needs to be completely replaced. 

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

Cassella thanked the foundation’s board of directors for trusting her with such a large undertaking. 

“(This move) is about expanding our reach, deepening our impact and ensuring that no child or individual is left behind,” she said. “We will continue to work tirelessly to provide a space for children and individuals with special needs to have the opportunity to thrive.”

Cassella is hoping to get through permitting by the end of the year and have the administration building running by mid-January. Her goal is to soft open the camp in April. 

“I would like to at least have the administrative building and the learning center open,” Cassella said, “And one cottage operating for my staff to get those logistical pieces in place prior to opening up summer.”

Moving from Camp Flying Eagle to the new campus is not just labor intensive, it’s costly. 

Cassella said the foundation has secured commitments totaling $1.5 million and “conservatively” needs another million to see the vision through.

While the capacity to serve campers will eventually increase from 45 to 60 and possibly more, Cassella has a five-year plan in place to make the transition.

Currently, foundation staff are reaching out to civic groups based out of Manatee and Sarasota counties for funding. Because the foundation serves campers throughout Florida, they’ll also be seeking donations from outside the local area.