Author: Elissa

It’s a big week here at camp with some really fun events coming up and you can feel it in the air. Girls Sing is front and center. You cant go two steps without seeing divisions practice and perfect their dance and song. By the looks of things, this years Girls Sing is looking to be one amazing show. From the out of this world cuteness of our Freshmen girls to the insane dancing ability of our CIT’s, we are all in for an incredible Wednesday night.  Then of course, murmurings of a Color War are beginning to arise. These next two weeks are definitely the best part of summer at CAW!!! It’s good to be a Chenny kid.

Playing sports at camp is just plain fun.. No pressure.. no stress.. Just plain fun…

Collegiate Girls Soccer – B’Nai Brith 3 vs. CAW 2 – Chenny takes 2^nd Place in Wayne County Tournament

Inter Boys Baseball – Trails End 7 vs. CAW 3 – Chenny takes 2^nd Place in Wayne County Tournament

Collegiate Boys Tennis – CAW 4 vs. Wayne 1 – CHENNY WINS CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!

Every summer I sit in amazement as I watch our kids perform in the Chenny Circus. They defy gravity; they soar to new heights and blow our minds with what they have learned to do this summer. New campers stepped right up and delivered awe-inspiring performances that made us all sit and watch with mouths wide open. Our Chennny Circus show took it to a whole new level this summer with their Back To the Future theme. The costumes and sets were brilliant but their talent and abilities made tonight incredible. It’s amazing as we watch our kids fly through the air. Where in the world can you learn these very difficult stunts, perfect them in just 5 weeks and perform them like a pro? That happens here and to see the pride and accomplishment on all the faces of those campers who performed tonight is absolutely priceless. They shined tonight and they were stars tonight and they will never forget that summer night they soared at Camp Chen-A-Wanda!!!!

Life is sure great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda.

Chenny out

 

Today was one of those summer days we wish wouldn’t end. Having been here for 5 weeks and with only 2 to go it seems that each day passes quicker than the next. How can we make time stop or at least slow down? We all wait so long to spend 51 days here and it seems to be going way too fast. At this point in the summer, everyone seems to cherish the little things that truly matter the most. Our relationships have grown stronger by the day and our new friends have officially become our family and old friends have continued to enrich our lives.

There is something that sticks out to me every summer I watch these relationships grow and that is benefit of a hug. Something so simple and easy as a hug or a piggyback ride or holding a hand is just what we do, daily. It’s human connection that we all crave and here is where we get it. We may not even realize how much we need it until we get here and standing next to your friend or counselor seems awkward without sitting on their lap, holding their hands or giving them a hug. You have to see it to believe it and living in this environment breeds it. It’s the thread that makes us closer and the benefits are profound. How different the world be if getting and giving hugs happened like they happen here at camp. You can’t help but smile as you watch campers walk arm in arm to an activity. It warms you from the inside out. It brings our friendships to a very different level than with our home friends. It is why our camp friends become our family. It’s why we love this place so much. It’s why we call it home.

It was another fun day full of sports for our Chenny athletes.

 

Our girls dance team spent the morning at Camp Wayne Dance Competition. Congratulations to Sydney Kesselman place 3^rd with her solo dance.  Alexis Siegel, Sydney Kesselman, Skylar Bohm and Kylie Gorsky placed 2^nd in small group dance.

Middy Boys Gold Soccer – CAW 2 vs. Westmont 1

Inters Boys Basketball – Lavi 45 vs. CAW 40 (Chenny lost Championship game in overtime – it was a nail bitter)

GC/CIT Boys Tennis – CAW 4 vs. Trails End 1 – Chenny advances to Championship!!

Tonight our campers were entertained by Audiobody, who dazzled us with their synthesizing drumming light show. It was a night that took our breath away and left us all in awe. They were fun to watch and we all felt as if we were apart of the show!! Here’s to another magnificent day in paradise.

Chenny out

 

When is last time your kids loved to swing on swings or slide down a slide? Those two attractions that sit at center camp have been a part of Chen-A-Wanda landscape since 1940.  They are an attraction that may go un-noticed by you on visiting day as we have all the bells and whistles from our insane aqua park or our very own Wiffle Ball Stadium, or the near by state of the art School of Rock but these two long-standing old school fixtures provide your children with hours of joy. They are the first place our freshmen and junior boys run to after every single meal. There is not a day that passes that our swings are not in use. It doesn’t matter if a middy girl is getting a push from her counselors or the CIT boys are just swinging and talking together, these pieces of our history connect us to everyone that was here before us. They provide us simplicity and an ease of what kids do automatically.  Your kids so enjoy these 2 centerpieces of cent camp. With all the advances in technology and gadgets to entertain and engage us, sometimes it’s just swinging on a swing or sliding down a slide that brings crazy joy to our kids.

It’s another Championship for Chenny today.

Senior Girls Soccer – CAW 11 vs. Lohikan 0 – Chenny advances to Championship game

Super/GC Girls – Soccerama tournament at Camp Bryn Mawr – Chenny takes 2^nd Place

Collegiate Boys Roller Hockey – Westmont 10 vs. CAW 5

Super Boys Baseball – CAW 15 vs. Westmont 3 – CHENNY WINS CHAMPIOSHIP!!!!!!

Congratulations to our outstanding Campers of the Week:

Freshman              Jamie Delilo                    Troy Golden

Juniors                  Jordana Yacht                  Jake Fersko

Middies                Brooke Kanganis             Matthew Blutig

Inters                      Rachel Novick                Drew Brassloff

Collegiate               Jolie Dinow                     Asher Slotkin

Seniors                   Skylar Bloom                  Noah Simpson

Supers                    Maci Rubenstein            Jeremy Schier

GC’s                         Haley Kushner              Zach Fischberg

CIT’s                        Morgan Perlman          David Tell

Tonight was all about finding that one VOICE and that was no easy task to do with the pool of talent who sang their hearts out tonight. Our 14 vocalists sang with passion, intensity, and feeling and brought our campers to their feet. The talent we heard in Shields Hall tonight was brilliant and beautiful. Ally Heller, Justin Oresky, Jordan Leeds, Laine Bishop, Daisy Chaskin, Arielle Ashkenase, Amanda Behrens, Sami Miller, Dylan & Maddy Grabow, Ashley Sukoff, Max Rover & Matt Leviss and Daniel Gur are talented beyond imagination. They each took center stage and sang like pros. Each one shined as they sang with their entire camp family watching in amazement. The judges were not in control anymore as tonight the vote was with the campers. Each vote counted and in the end there was just one voice…. Tonight our Chenny Voice winner went to the incomparable Daniel Gur. Though only one was crowned, all 14 kids won tonight. They each dug down deep, took a deep breath, moved their nerves to the side and sang from their hearts. It was a great night here at Chenny, one that all 14 singing talented kids will never forget!!!!!

 

Chenny out

 

It was brunch morning, which in camp terms means we got to enjoy some extra zzzz’ss and sleep in until 9:45. Then we all rolled out bed and headed to The Lodge for some grubbin’ brunch food. We filled our bellies and off we went to an afternoon of more camp fun. Girls Sing is heading our way so all afternoon, you saw divisions practicing their dances and singing their song. These words they will sing and the dances they perfect, will be ingrained in each one these campers for years to come.  Being a part of this long-standing camp tradition is what makes this place so special. From the looks of it, girl’s side will be putting on a great show this coming Wednesday night.

We win some….We lose some…. But we gave it our all and had a great time.

Middy Girls Gold Basketball – Westmont 18 vs. CAW 10

Collegiate Girls LAX – Indian Head 14 vs. CAW 7

Inter Boys Gold Soccer – Tioga 7 vs. CAW 3

Super Boys Gold Basketball Tourney – Wayne 34 vs. CAW 19 / Equinunk 19 vs. CAW 13

Super Boys Tennis – Island Lake 3 vs. CAW 2

GC/CIT Boys Basketball – Poyntelle 53 vs, CAW 48

The talk throughout camp today as all about tonight’s evening activity, Chenny Jam. It was Girls side vs. Boys side and the competition was fierce. There was a lot on the line, as this intense staff basketball game would bring pride to either Boys side or Girls side. Girls side was dressed in pink and boys side wore all black. Team spirit was contagious and the energy was just insanity. This game was more fun that any NBA game we’ve ever been at. The last two summers Girls side brought home the win so Boys side was determined and focused. The game was close the whole way through with both sides bringing it tonight. There were several score changes but with an intense second half, boy’s side claimed victory with a 46 – 43 victory!!!  Actually, everyone won because the fun was off the charts to make this night, a camp favorite. The GC girls division and Boys bunk I were awarded pizza parties for bringing the most spirit to tonight’s game. Just another phenomenal Chenny Jam!!

Chenny out

 

 

Another funtastic day at Chenny was enjoyed by all. Camp looked and felt amazing as we were outside playing under the gorgeous bright sun. As we are approaching the last 2 weeks of camp, we are appreciating every single moment we have here and making every day count.

Today was another incredible day for our Chenny athletes with 3 Championships!! We are racking in the wins but most importantly is we exemplify great sportsmanship on our fields and courts.

Freshman/Junior Girls Basketball – CAW 7 vs. Lavi 5 – CHENNY WINS CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!

Senior Girls Basketball – CAW 28 vs. Starlight 26 – CHENNY WINS CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!

GC/CIT Girls Basketball – Starlight 23 vs. CAW 18

Inters Boys Basketball White team – Westmont 19 vs. CAW 9

Collegiate Boys Soccer – CAW 7 vs. Westmont 2

Senior Boys Baseball – CAW 14 vs. Lavi 6 – CHENNY WINS CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!

There is nothing quite like dressing up in your Halloween costume in July. We were all so into our Halloween costume parade as each camper strutted their stuff down the catwalk. They showed off their ghostly creations and creative costumes. Everyone was in on the fun and loving celebrating Halloween-A-Wanda together. After the parade, it was off to trick or treat and campers went station to station and they filled up their bags with oodles of treats. In true Chenny tradition, the Super girls made a haunted canteen mansion that spooked and creeped out everyone who dared to enter. It was a great night and one that won’t soon be forgotten.

Our Supers arrived back to camp after their exciting trip to Virginia Beach/DC. They rolled of the bus, exhilarated and exhausted and as they were walking back to their bunks with eyes barely open, and shlepping their bags which were dragging on the ground, a group of girls turned to me and said, “Thank you for this incredible trip with my best friends.” Life is Great at Camp Chen-Wanda!

Chenny out