Author: Elissa

After two and a half intense days of Olympic games, Gold Egypt brought home the victory. The morning was full of games and the Olympic spirit was strong. Everyone gave it all they had. No matter if it was a game of steal the bacon, kickball or basketball the intensity and desire to win was there. Each team fought a great battle to the very end.

After a full day of games and track meets, the scores were too close to call and in true Olympic spirit, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO SING. We loaded into Shields Hall tonight and each team presented their plaque and banner.  The artwork was spectacular and will forever be a part of Chen-A-Wanda Olympic history, as we proudly will display them for years to come. Each team presented a Cheer, an Alma Mater and a March for the judges.  The lyrics they wrote and sang, the meaning and the heart in which they were performed made everyone in the Shields Hall feel as if they were part of something special. All singing in unison, these words will never be forgotten and will leave an indelible mark on all of us. To be present for such a display of sportsmanship, honor and camp pride is quite humbling. It was the following phrase, written and sung by Red Cuba in their Alma Mater that so perfectly relayed the feelings we all felt today:

Olympics 2015, has split us into three – Without you by my side, I’m not who I want to be – After these days, we will be one camp – One team, united from Freshman to CIT’s – No matter what they say WE ARE ONE FAMILY!!!!

What made this summers’ Olympic games so special was to see the elation of each team member on Gold Egypt as they worked so hard over the past few days and reached their goals.  There were tears of joy for winning and there was heartache of defeat but in the end these three separate teams came back together as one camp family and showed respect for the games and honor for one another. We played fair, we played hard, we played with integrity and most importantly we had so much fun. With our Olympic games, there will always be a victorious team, but everyone in Shields Hall won tonight. That is what these games are all about. I’m so proud of our campers for the spirit they posses, the sportsmanship they showed and the heart they each have. We are so lucky to spend our summer with such incredible kids.

Now back to regular business with an awesome week ahead of us. So much to look forward to and we all deserve the late wake-up tomorrow.

Chenny out.

 

 

What an incredible day we had today. The sun couldn’t have been brighter and everyone was feeling the rays of sunshine that covered us all from head to toe. Faces were painted, hair was sprayed, tutus were on in full force. The spirit on this camp was off the charts and our campers were in it to win it. It was a full day of Olympic games and activities and the competition was fierce, fair and fun. Every camper pushed themselves and pushed their friends to be the best they can be today. Just when you thought you gave it your all and you may have felt you were running out of steam, your entire team was cheering you on from the sidelines letting you know , YOU CAN DO IT!!!! That is what happened on every field and every court today. You CAN do it – That made all the difference. Our campers and staff dug down deep today and pushed harder then ever before.You saw it on their faces and in the grit of their effort.  To see the encouragement we give one another can move mountains. It’s the best part of our Olympic games. To watch a camper who thinks they can’t go one more step and see them get lifted up and encouraged by their team and that is where they soar higher than they ever thought they could. We become champions for one another and we learned how powerful we are together.

The night belonged to the Apache Relay and everyone had a part in the ultimate goal. Regardless if you leaped frogged from the lake to Chenny Central, threw 5 cards into a hat or had to sing Take Me Out To The Ballgame, we all mattered and everyone counted.  The Apache Relay is an incredible race of teamwork, endurance and an enormous amount of fun. The entire camp is used from top to bottom and everything in between. To participate in Apache is something that you will never forget and is a constant reminder that every single person on this campus, is important and an integral member of the team. Tonight, Blue Fiji crossed the finish line first followed by Red Cuba with Gold Egypt just behind. After the first full day of competition it’s too close to call. There is another full day games tomorrow and as we all know it all comes down to SING!!!!!!!

We are fortunate enough to have incredible alumni that will forever have Chenny in their hearts and today we had a big group of them visit. As they walked around camp on this Olympic day, most, if not all cried happy tears as they were witnessing a page in their youth. Seeing young campers run the same race they did years ago. Watching with envy to be able to that again and wanting to start their Chenny experience over. A very special alum who has been away from camp for a handful of years and is now in the real world with big girl job, looked at me with all sincerity and said, “I am the best me at Camp Chen-A-Wanda. I would do anything to be back in this world.” Her words resonated with me as I knew exactly what she meant. She walked around camp reliving the years spent here. I was watching her look at our young campers starting their journey here at Chenny, with a smile on her face as if she knew the road they were on and where it will take them.

Chenny out.

There was a buzz all around camp today about when Olympics would break out. Campers were trying to figure out if today was the day or maybe tomorrow. The anticipation was intense and so much fun. Every announcement was looked as a clue and every move our Head Staff made was a sign but the morning went by without a break and it just added to the excitement to what was coming. You could actually feel the energy in the air but the day just went on as business as usual.

Even amidst the Olympic craze, we were able to get a ton of games in today. We played hard and we couldn’t be more proud of the effort set forth from our awesome Chenny athletes.

Freshman/Junior Girls Soccer – CAW 9 @ Wayne 0

Inter Boys Soccer – CAW 2 @ Wayne 6

Collegiate Girls Softball – CAW 9 @ Westmont 8

Freshman/Junior Boys Hockey – CAW 4 @ Wayne 8

Collegiate Boys LAX – CAW 5 vs. Wayne 14

Super Boys Basketball – CAW 41 @ Island Lake 32

Well, our campers did not have to wait long as the entire camp was enjoying snack call when a very familiar song began to play throughout camp. The Olympic Fanfare sent chills up our spine and out from Chenny Central came our Head Counselors with a lit torch symbolizing Olympics is upon us. The entire camp followed them up the hill to our little league baseball field where the Olympic rings waited their arrival.  We announced the Captains and highlighted what the games are all about. We will compete, we will play hard, we will show spirit and dedication, we will play fair but most importantly we will have fun in our Olympic Games! The Olympic rings were lit and the games of 2015 officially began. Our camp is now split in three equal teams, Red Cuba, Blue Fiji and Gold Egypt.

Just when we thought that camp could not possibly get any better, Olympics takes us to a whole new level. Tonight was a great night as we started our battle with Tugs of War. There has never been a Camp Chen-A-Wanda TUGS OF WAR WITH MORE SPIRIT AND INTENSITY.  It was an electric night. We are so proud to be part of these games as we watch your children thrive and be the best they can be. Best news is we get to do this again tomorrow. There is no place like CAW.

Chenny out.

 

Today at girls line up, I watched a group of Middy girls sitting in each others laps, all looking up at the blue sky telling each other what shapes they see form from the puffy white billowing clouds above them. One saw a unicorn and another was convinced it was a gummy bear holding a book. There were giggles and laughs as they each were describing what they saw. If you can imagine the sweetness of this scene in a time where our children rely on their devices, camp has given us all a period of time to sit back, look up and watch the clouds roll by. Experiencing this from the inside never gets old and we treasure watching your children look up. They have truly unplugged and re-engaged in life without electronics and spend their day connecting with one another. The skill of connecting with peers and the world around them is so essential and necessary and by sending them to summer camp you have given your children the most wonderful gift. We see it everyday as they work through problems, make compromises, tolerate their frustrations and make solid friendships that exist with texting.

Another great day for Chenny Sports:

Freshman/Junior Girls Basketball – CAW 8 vs. Shoshanim 6 (Rain stopped game at halftime and will be finished next week)

Inters Girls Softball – CAW 14 vs. Tioga 13

Collegiate Girls Tennis – CAW 0 @ Bryn Mawr 5

Senior Girls Soccer – CAW 0 @ B’Nai Brith 7

Super Girls Softball – CAW 3 vs. Nesher 1

GC/CIT Girls Softball – CAW 3 @ Nesher 1

GC/CIT Girls Tennis – CAW 5 vs. Tioga 0

Middy Boys Basketball – CAW 43  vs. Lohikan 20

Inter Boys Tennis – CAW 4 vs. Lohikan 1

Collegiate Boys Softball – CAW 6 vs. Nesher 5

Senior Boys Soccer – CAW 5 @ Poyntelle 1

GC/CIT Boys Soccer – CAW 3 vs. Cayuga 3 (lost 3-2 on penalty kicks)

When we say Chenny’s Got Talent, we aren’t kidding. Tonight was the Chenny Voice Team reveal and the talent was insane. Campers were in Shields Hall as they were mesmerized and watched the auditions. We are proud to announce the contestants for our ive Chenny Voice show next week. It’s the battle round and each team captain will have their acts battle one another in the live show and they will decide who goes onto to the next round. We congratulate everyone who auditioned and are so excited  to those campers who made it to the live show.

Team Rachel:1. Elaina Hamuy, Jordan Ruderman & Maya Grill 2.Hayden Minkoff  3. Abby Leeds 4. Maya Hoffman & Rachel Knee 5. Natalie Blee 6. Ashley Sukoff

Team Megan: 1. Kylie Gosky 2. Julia Knobloch 3. TeminTunes 4. Mia Sutton, Jordan Ash, Ally Heller 5. Matt Leviss 6. Summer Housenbold

Team Chris: 1. Charlie Feldman 2. Lanie Bishop 3. Sara Kay 4. Bunk K Boys 5. Sara Akerman 6. Jordan Leeds, Daisy Chaskin

Team Grossman 1. Dylan Bass 2. Josh Polansky 3. Arielle Ashkenase 4. Emma Goldenberg 5. Alex Brandoff 6. Maddy Grabow

Stay tuned and see our stars shine. It’s incredible that we get to do this again tomorrow. Life is Great here!!!!!

Chenny out.

The entire camp headed out to the Scranton RailRiders (Yankees AAA).  We all spent the morning in our regular fun activities but everyone was so excited about heading out to the ballpark. We got a few games in before we all headed out this afternoon.

Senior Girls Softball  – CAW 17 vs Tyler Hill 1

Inter/Coll Girls Tennis Tournament @ Tyler Hill – Made it to semi-finals

Middy/Inetr Boys LAX – CAW 11 @ Westmont 12

Senior Boys Basketball – CAW 44 @ Nesher 35

The evening was all about baseball and we had a ball.  Our entire camp filled the stands with Gold Chenny shirts in PNC stadium where we watched 7 great innings of baseball. The night started out amazing as we cheered on Freshman campers Dani Glickman and Landon Miller as they threw out the first pitch. An awesome sight to see our Chenny kids on the field and for Dani & Landon, a night they will never forget. We cheered for our favorite players, we sang songs in the stands, we did the wave and we all had a great summer night together as it was Chenny takeover at the Scranton Yankees RailRider game.  What could be better than hanging out with your friends, eating ice cream and watching a ballgame on a hot summer night.  The spirit was high and the energy was just so much fun tonight. Another standout night spent with great friends.

 

Chenny out