There Is Something About Color War
There is something that happens during Color War that is unlike any other time spent at Camp Chen-A-Wanda. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve lived it.Maybe it’s because we’re later in the summer and everyone has settled in. Camp no longer feels new, it feels like home. Maybe it’s because we’ve spent weeks building this community together. When you compete together, celebrate together, encourage one another, and believe in something bigger than yourself, you become part of something extraordinary. Or maybe it’s because Color War is one of Chenny’s greatest traditions. Generations of campers before today’s campers have worn these same colors, stood on these same fields, and felt these same emotions. There is something incredibly powerful about knowing you’re part of a tradition that stretches back decades and decades. It creates a connection that is hard to put into words.
Today, every camper woke up wearing either red or gold. Every child belonged to a team. A team that believes in them. A team that cheers for them. A team that celebrates them. There is something so comforting about that. We began our first full day of Color War with one of its most iconic events, Tugs of War.
Standing there and watching your children dig their heels into the ground, gripping that rope with everything they have while teammates pull beside them and counselors scream words of encouragement from the sidelines is truly inspiring. You see determination. You see grit. You see resilience. You see kids discovering they have a little more strength than they thought. These moments become deeply rooted in a camper’s Chenny experience. Years from now, many of these kids won’t remember every score or every result, but they’ll remember how they felt standing shoulder to shoulder with their teammates, pulling together toward one common goal. And when they win, there is a look that comes across their face that is difficult to describe. It’s joy. It’s pride. It’s confidence. It’s the feeling of believing that together, anything is possible.
The afternoon kept the vibe going with games across camp before everyone packed into Shields Hall for one of the most entertaining nights of Color War. Contest Night. Trying to explain Contest Night to someone who has never experienced it is nearly impossible. The best description might be, Organized, joyful chaos. Sack races. Balloon pops. Hippity hops. Relay races. Music blasting. Campers dancing. Counselors laughing. Teams cheering. The Hall was absolutely alive. If you joined us on Instagram Live, hopefully you caught a glimpse of what it felt like inside Shields Hall. We love sharing those moments because a picture simply can’t capture the energy. You have to hear the music. You have to hear hundreds of campers singing together. You have to see kids laughing without hesitation, dancing without self-consciousness, and celebrating every silly victory as if it were the championship of the world. There wasn’t a single person in that building who wasn’t having the absolute best time. The energy was electric. The joy was contagious. And perhaps my favorite part, There was complete freedom. Freedom to laugh. Freedom to dance. Freedom to cheer. Freedom to be completely yourself without worrying about what anyone else thinks. As I looked around the Hall tonight, I found myself doing something I often do during Color War. I stopped watching the games. Instead, I watched your kids. The expressions on their faces said everything. Pure joy. Complete freedom. Total immersion in a world that exists only here.
You see it throughout the summer, but during Color War it becomes even more powerful. It’s as if every child gives themselves permission to let go, to be fully present, and to embrace every single moment. That is the magic of Color War. But the feeling. The feeling is being a part of something so much bigger than yourself and being exactly where you supposed to be.
Best part is we have 4 more days to go!!