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It’s been 18 long months, countless camper and parent zooms, endless planning meetings, months of following the ups and downs of the crazy world we have all been living and it all came down to this very moment. Nothing could quite prepare us for the burst of emotion we would feel. But when we found out that every single person on our camp tested, re-tested and then re-tested again NEGATIVE!! WE ARE NEGATIVE and we can’t put into words the feeling we all experienced tonight when we announced it to our camp family. The relief, the joy, the emotion was unreal. We have all worked tirelessly for this very moment and the feeling was beyond incredible. We all needed this more than anything. YOUR KIDS ARE SAFE and we have created a space for them to truly be free. We cried and cheered and hugged each other so tightly. Siblings ran to one another, friends embraced and the world seemed to feel normal again. We watched your children come out of their covid cohort world and jump into a life that feels so normal and right. Your kids deserve this, we all deserve this and we got here TOGETHER. Thank you for partnering in this with us. We needed you and we all did our part to make this happen for our kids. Thank you Thank you Thank you.. We did it!!!

Life is so GREAT at Camp Chen-A-Wanda!

 

Something clicked today and felt familiar and oh so good. Though we are still cohorted and literally at the edge of the longest road as we wait for results, today felt different in the best way possible. Camp was packed with girls side practicing for their Sign and Song scheduled for next Saturday night. Watching each group of girls as they choreograph their dance and practice till perfected is the most reassuring and familiar Chenny tradition that always identifies that camp is officially underway. Sign and Song is a deep Chenny tradition and Girls Side is bringing the magic. The themes are adorable and the dances and amazing and we cannot wait to see the show. It felt normal and good and everything we have missed about being here at Chenny.

Love is in the air here at Camp Chen-A-Wanda and as we all went inside (masked) Shields Hall for our first all camp evening activity, it hit home how much we needed this night. It was a camp favorite show, The DatingGame. The show was funny and sweet but we were all together and that is what made tonight spectacular. As your kids have proven they can handle and deal with just about anything, they felt what Shields Hall feels like when were all in there together. We built a camp family and we laughed and cheered together tonight. It felt INCREDIBLE!!! The masks were just something we deal with and it didn’t take anything away from that feeling we all felt tonight. The feeling is back and no matter what the results are tomorrow, we know we can have that feeling of being connected to one another as we all do this journey together.  It was a remarkable day followed by and incredible night. We got that feeling back and it feel AMAZING!

 

The sun was shining, the mountain air was crisp and it was a great day at camp today. Today was our last PCR test and we are crossing all our fingers and toes for good results in the next day or two. Your kids were fantastic and testing was a breeze for everyone on camp. After the test, it was back to camp and the kids had the greatest day. Every filed was full, the pool was poppin’, the lake was the center of attraction, ATV’s were rolling, friendship bracelets were in the making and life at Chenny today was fabulous.

We heard from so many of you in the last 24 hours wanting to show appreciation and support to your kids counselors. You have no idea how much that gesture means to us. The job of being a counselor and caring for your kids as we all are coming out of our Covid caves is a unique experience to say the least. We are so very fortunate to have staff who are committed and vested in this experience and your recognition and support to them took our breath away. As we all became aware of the realities to what camps are dealing with this summer, your instant and swift kind gesture shows the true partnership we have together. Our singular goal is to provide your children the summer they so desperately need and your kindness to let our staff know how much you appreciate them makes all the difference. As our email to you noted, we are ensuring our staff feel supported, motivated and encouraged. Their experience is of the utmost importance to us so that they can take care of your kids and provide a summer that is EPIC. We are taking care of them and ensuring they are getting what they need. We thank you so much again for jumping into action and showing so much kindness.

We are one week in and 6 more to go. It only gets better from here. Life is Great.

 

The weather certainly has its plans for us and we are rolling with it. Two scorchers followed by a few rain days and we got this. Today was the kind of day when you wanted to stay in your sweats and curl up watching a movie and thats exactly what we did. It was a chill type of day and the kids loved it. You need this kind of day and we all loved this kind of day.One camper came to me at lunch and said, “Elissa, my mom calls days like this a re-charge day and I love to re-charge.” It felt like we all needed a slow0down until there was the best dance party where every camper and staff jumped up on our tables and let loose. They sang at the top of their lungs and danced with so much freedom. It was electric and our kids feeling so much joy and celebration is what we have all been waiting for so long.  Even on the rainiest of days, our kids let loose and embraced life. It was joyful and felt emotional watching our children experience these moments again.

We have one more test to go and that is tomorrow. We have one more step in this process and when those results come back the way we want and need them to, the party will only get bigger. The lodge will get louder and the masks will be behind us. Its been such a long road and we are at the doorstep to feeling pure freedom. Bigs and littles will get to hug, siblings don’t have to stand 6ft apart outside. We are right there and we are so incredibly proud of your children.

The night was stupendous with a Chipotle party for our oldest two divisions (SUPERSR and GC’s). There were Bingo parties, dance offs and cooking competitions and the night was just so much fun. We think about how much fun were having now and can only imagine when we get to one camp family. Life is GREAT!

 

 

It was another great day at Chenny today. As we are still cohorting and spending time with our divisions alone, it has given the kids a chance to make connections and to reconnect. For some campers, this transition back into normal life was seamless and for others they are finding their stride and trusting the journey. Every day, every activity, every moment is an opportunity to meet new people and we are watching it in real time. We know how deeply excited everyone is to cross our next threshold so we can move on from cohorts and masks, and that day is nearing. Though we are all so excited to be one camp family, this time spent with just each division on its own has been really really nice.

As the campers were enjoying their afternoon activities, the skies opened up and the rain came down. There is nothing quite as fun as running through the raindrops holding your friends hands in a torrential downpour. The giggles and laughter were contagious. Moments like these stay with you always. There was group of Senior Boys playing basketball and didn’t stop for one second during the downpour. The game continued and they had a ball playing in the rain. Rain doesn’t spoil the fun here at Camp Chen-A-Wanda, it gives us an opportunity to make fun happen wherever we go.

The night was as equally as fun as the day as all lower camp played BINGO. It was an absolute blast with prizes galore and happy kids everywhere you look. There was a movie in the Chen-A-Plex, Dodgeball in Shields Hall and Baking in the Cookhouse for Upper Camp. Our campers are loving it and it just keeps getting better.