Chenny Blog

For the past seven weeks, I’ve written to you at home, hoping my words helped you feel just a little of the Chenny magic happening here every day. Tonight, my message was for everyone inside Shields Hall.

We are filled with gratitude—for every camper, every counselor, every staff member—who touched our lives and made this summer extraordinary. Each of us leaves better than we came, and we hope your children come home bursting to share all the incredible things they did, learned, and felt here.

In just a few short hours, you’ll have your babies back in your arms, and we cannot thank you enough for trusting us and our team to be part of their story. Summer 2025 has come to a close, but the spirit of camp doesn’t end here. Life will always be great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda.

To our Summer 2025 Chenny Family –

Every summer, we assemble a unique group of people—counselors, staff  and campers—who come together to share something truly special: a  summer at Camp Chen-A-Wanda. Each Summer has its own personality, its own magic, but every single summer brings us the same deep joy—because we get a front-row seat to watch you live out your childhood in the most extraordinary way. It’s a privilege and an honor to watch you experience this place and embrace Chenny.

All year long, our team works to create a world for you—filled with caring people; activities that create growth and joy; trips that open your world; and moments that change your life. And then, each summer, we sit here on this very night, in awe of all the magic that unfolded. This summer was no exception—it was truly remarkable because you all were here.

To our veteran staff: You come back every summer because you know how this place makes you feel. You understand that the madness, the long days, and the joyful chaos all make sense here. It just makes sense. You are our steady hand, our “I’ve got this,” and our example of what it means to truly care. We thank you for your loyalty, your heart and your commitment to Chenny and we love how much this place matters to all of you.

To our first-year staff: YOU DID IT! You survived and thrived through the gauntlet of your first Chenny summer. We hope you discovered something new about yourself—that you can do hard things—being a camp counselor is the hardest job you will ever have as it truly requires every part of you to be fully present for 7 weeks. There is no other job that starts from the time you open your eyes to the time you close them for sleep and when you are needed in the middle of the night, you were still and available to care for your kids. In the not so distant future, when you are back at school or home or at work, your campers will pop into your head, and you’ll smile. You’ll remember that freshman girl who fell asleep on your lap at evening activity or that middy boy you comforted through homesickness or that senior girl camper who cried to you over her first heartbreak, or the GC camper who made you laugh so hard until you cried. These kids are now a part of your heart—and long after the hard parts fade, these moments will they stay with you forever.

To the heartbeat of this place—our campers: You make Chenny come alive. Watching you become the best versions of yourselves here is a joy like no other. From the freshman to the middies, your hugs and giggles filled camp with happiness. Our youngest campers brought the joy this summer and we loved watching you embrace Chenny. To our Inters, Collegiates, Seniors, and Supers—middle school and high school is no walk in the park, but we hope this summer filled your hearts with enough happiness to carry you through those cold winter nights and the memories you made brings you joy. You were incredible this summer – And yes, thank you for all your Canteen help—you were fabulous!

To our GC’s—:  Dare I say My GC’s – This was my first time traveling with campers, and it was everything and more. The places we visited were amazing but seeing them through your eyes made them unforgettable. Watching you experience so many incredible moments was pure joy but watching you with one another as you have created a true brotherhood and sisterhood took my breath away. I couldn’t have picked a better group to experience the Grand Canyon with, or to kayak up the Colorado River alongside. That night under the stars was magic for me too. You are an absolutely incredible group of kids – Thank you for being the best travel partners—I had the time of my life.

To our CITs: It feels like yesterday you all just started your journey as freshman and juniors and today you finished your CIT summer. That went fast and finishing your camper journey here is an achievement to be so proud of. You finished what you started, and you’ve built bonds that will last throughout your lifetime—all rooted in shared summers, shared memories, and mutual respect. Life will lead you to new stages and new places, but this journey and this place will always be a part of you. It’s been an honor to watch you grow into the incredible young people you are today. You lead camp this summer with spirit and so much Chenny pride and watching you take care of your campers was awe-inspiring. You passed the torch onto your campers and we could not have been more proud of each and every one of you.

Tomorrow, Summer 2025 officially comes to an end. We hope you all had a ball, we hope you made lifelong friends, we hope you tried new things, and we hope you learned more about yourself and are proud of who you are. Be safe, be smart, be the river and how about we all meet back her in just 10 short months for another incredible summer.

You are the stars of tonight’s show so enjoy Memory Night, and every beautiful moment we shared and created together.

We adore you, Chenny. Life is Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda!

With love and gratitude,

Jon & Elissa

 

It’s getting real that camp is nearing the end as it was cleaning day. That is the day we organize and clean so packing day tomorrow is a breeze. We took down the pictures behind our beds that has made it so cozy and homey all summer long, We started writing our bus notes to friends we made this summer and we all know the end is just around the corner.

As the sun set over Fiddle Lake, camp came alive in its finest. Everyone was dressed to impress, taking pictures with friends and counselors against the breathtaking backdrop. The dock was lined with campers, arm in arm, smiling for group shots that will be looked at again and again—forever tied to the magic of this night. The air was filled with joy, the kind you can see on every face. Here at Chenny, this night and these moments stand still for a lifetime. After we took pictures on this glorious night, it was into the Lodge for a delicious steak dinner we all enjoyed so very much. But if our dinner wasnt perfect enough, it ended with Chocolate Chip babka that the kids went crazy for.

Then it was time for one of the night’s biggest highlights: our Counselor of the Year Awards. Tonight was about celebrating the extraordinary staff who pour their heart and soul into making this summer unforgettable.

Boys Side: Joe Brown, Scott Cowie, Liv Foster, Flora Fuller, Louis Howe, Jayden Walker, Rory Goodwin, Robbie Newman, Seamus Reel, Louis Rogerson, Amelie Tassel, Dylan Torres and Tighearman
Girls Side: Mill Cutler, Madeline Glover, Laura Fahy, Abbie Johnston, Cera Malone, Brooke Mann, Holly Maw, Tal Tucket, Tyleer Runyan, Ashley Schwartz

After the awards, it was all-out party time in Shields Hall. Music blasted, lights flashed, and the dance floor was packed until the very last song. Campers left with arms full of LED party sticks, light-up  headbands, T-shirts and glow rings —a perfect party sendoff.

It’s hard to believe summer is almost over, but tonight, we celebrated in true Chenny style—with laughter, music, and the joy of being together. One more day to go, and we’re making every moment count.

The most anticipated evening activity of the summer—Late Night with Leahy—took the stage tonight, and it was nothing short of INCREDIBLE. Beyond-belief funny, brilliantly produced, and completely entertaining, Brian Leahy once again delivered a show that had campers and staff laughing, cheering, and buzzing about it long after the lights went down. With hilarious videos, perfectly executed dances, TikToks, surprise giveaways, and even Beats headphones prizes, every moment was pure magic. It was the perfect way to cap off the day and the ultimate late-night talk show twist to close out the season. Ask your camper about it, and you’ll probably hear, “Best show ever!”

With just two days left of Summer ’25, our Chenny spirit is still flying high. The energy is electric—you can feel the joy, but also that quiet awareness that soon we’ll be heading home. Friends are making the most of every last minute, knowing that in just a few days they won’t be waking up side by side, sharing every meal, or spending all day together. The gratitude for this summer is everywhere. That’s what it’s all about—giving our campers experiences that shape them, bring joy, and leave a lasting impact.

In a newer Chenny tradition, today was also a celebration of Ice Cream in every form. Lower Camp enjoyed a full sundae bar for snack call, piling their bowls high and savoring every last bite. Upper Camp had to wait until late night for their Pint Night—but it was worth it. Every camper and staff member in Upper Camp enjoyed their own pint of Ben & Jerry’s, turning the evening into a sweet, laughter-filled late night party. Pint Night and Sundae Snack Call have now officially earned a spot in our summer’s end traditions, it’s too good not to repeat.

Now we head into our final two nights—tomorrow is Banquet—and we’ll close out Summer ’25 Chenny-style, with a memory night worthy of the unforgettable season we’ve shared. Its almost over.

Today was Carnival and it was an absolute incredible day filled with snow cones, pop corn, dunk tanks and wedding booths. It was sea of matching Chenny carnival shirts and another day filled with laughter, friends and memories in the making. But even in this dreamlike place, real life happens. We received a call from the Shulman family that they just experienced a huge loss, Mason and Emme’s Grandpa passed away last night and Dad was coming to come to tell them and bring them both home. Dad came to camp, sat with the kids and shared their families terrible news. The loss was significant, painful and confusing.  It just doesn’t make sense. Loss doesn’t make sense. Losing someone you so deeply love doesn’t make sense. Not being able to say goodbye doesn’t make sense and feeling the intense pain and sense of loss at camp doesn’t make sense. The kids had dad there to hold them as they grieved and they also had their camp family hold them up and cry with them. They held onto to their friends and counselors so tight you could literally feel the compassion and support. Every one of Mason and Emme’s  friends felt the loss along with them. They weren’t alone, not for a moment. None of us can avoid these painful moments in our lives but what we saw when every single one of the kids friends, counselors and all who love them here absorb the pain with them. They were not alone and as they drove away with dad to go home and grieve with family, their family here at camp grieves with them too.  Camp is way more the Color War, Arts and Crafts and Slip n Slides – its being held up by people you let in, creating a world where we cry together, hold onto to one another and stand together in the great times and when life hits hard.  Today, the entire Super division stood present alongside their friends Emme and Mason and we know they felt the love.

A huge congratulations to our GC/CIT boys who are the Wayne County Champions in Basketball as they defeated Camp Morasha with a 58-44 victory. Way to go boys!!

Our evening activity was all about our big end of year awards. These campers went above and beyond all summer long and deserve all the recognition for their outstanding character, positive mindset and are the campers everyone wants to be around and play with. Well done Chenny kids, We’re so proud of you.

CAMPERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2025 – GIRLS
	HONOR		ATHLETE		ALL AROUND
FRESHMEN	Fara Kimowitz		Eden Cohen		Sammy McRoberts
JUNIORS	Peyton Shackman		Avery Leahy		Emily Orgel
MIDDIES	Ava Brodsky & Bayley Bromberg		Avery Weiner & Emma Teig		Emma Brick & Laila Pearlman
INTERS	Lulu Harris		Carson Maddox		Finley Rosenberg
COLLEGIATE	Camryn Nazem & Sienna Scarcella		Aubrey Donson & Emmy Sannon		Logan Cohen & Emma Shey
SENIORS	Olivia Penson		Morgan Fischer		Alivia Johnson
SUPERS	Dylan Lefkowitz		Kylie Park		Layla Kahn
GC’s	Noa Dagan		Jodana Kohen		Jordana Poplock
CIT of the Year	Morgan Bassuk

 

CAMPERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2025 – BOYS
	HONOR		ATHLETE		ALL AROUND
FRESHMEN	Jonah Korn		Ryan Quatroni		Matthew Einerman
JUNIORS	Evan Weber		Cameron Sylvin		Joey Goldman
MIDDIES	Max Cohen & Aiden Steinman		Jace Johnson & Jonah Schlissel		Jacob Feldman & Evan Wachman
INTERS	Jared Tarasov		Zachary Wynn		Evan Freeman
COLLEGIATE	Jackson Chaput & Judah Geller		Cooper Rosen & Jake Wexler		Ryder Diamond & Brandon Goldberg
SENIORS	David Chuven		Chase Zigler		Garren Katzenberg
SUPERS	Ben Amster		Jordan Ockner		Chase Schwartz
GC’s	Nick Einzig		Jordan Morris		Tyler Roth
CIT of the Year	Jake Marin

After five days of fierce competition, unforgettable moments, and nonstop spirit, Gold Broadway has taken center stage as the winners of Color War! From the electric Defying Gravity breakout to the final Sing, both teams left it all on the fields, courts, and stage—heart, hustle, and pure Chenny pride. Watching your kids dig deep, push themselves, and play with everything they had was worth it all. Color War at Chenny is something you can’t quite explain, it’s a feeling, a magic that changes each of us in ways only those who’ve lived it can truly understand.

The battle was tight all week, with Red Circus fighting hard at every turn. Every game, every contest, and every performance mattered. But in the end, Gold Broadway shined the brightest, bringing their A-game to every event and sealing their victory in true Broadway style – big, bold, and definitely unforgettable. Tonight, our CITs delivered their heartfelt psych speeches before the silent meal, sharing how much Chenny has meant to them and how these summers have shaped who they are. They spoke directly to our youngest campers, urging them to soak in every moment, because it all goes by in the blink of an eye and to not waste a minute of this experience.

When the announcement came after a serious game of musical chairs, the cheers shook the hall, and the smiles on our campers’ faces said everything. This week wasn’t just about winning—it was about teamwork, resilience, and creating memories that will last a lifetime. But after just a few moments of Gold celebrating their win, it was everyone back together dancing together and embracing the moment inside Shields Hall.

Congratulations to Gold Broadway, and hats off to Red Circus for an incredible week of competition. Now, we come back together as one camp family to enjoy our final four days of summer 2025. Tomorrow is Carnival—and the fun is far from over! Life is great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda!