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It was a hot day at Camp Chen-A-Wanda and there was no better place to be than the in the lake or pool. You couldn’t walk 10 feet without hearing, “gotta go jump in the lake”. The Super boys spent the afternoon in the pool playing the most fun game of water basketball. The boys were having the BEST time. They were jumping all over one another, splashing around, getting relief from the heat and  having the greatest afternoon they have had in a long while. It moved from their basketball game to cannonballs off the diving board. These boys had the absolute best time together as they managed to beat the heat.  The lake was full of happy campers too. The tarzan swing and water trampoline were in full use today and kids were beyond excited to go tubing. They had an absolute ball at the waterfront and it was a perfect day to stay wet.

The heat didn’t deter all our other activities. It was a perfect day to play outside knowing that ultimately we all just gotta go jump in the lake. These are what the next 48 days will be like for our kids. Just pure fun.

It was another Divisional Round Robin tonight and the kids had a ball. Night swim, basketball tournament and a summer blockbuster on the giant screen were just a few options kids had for their evening. Another day down and another day spent having fun, trying so many new things and making friendships along the way. We are building a community here and with each passing day, it has become obviously apparent that LIFE IS GREAT AT CAMP CHEN-A-WANDA!

 

 

It was our first day of regular activities and it felt so good. Baseball tryouts were popping. The theater program had its first set of auditions. The Chenny Shack was packed all day with our campers making the first official pizzas of the summer. All of the campers finished their swim tests and every area of camp was bustling with campers playing, laughing and settling into their summer rhythm.  It was a day that we have imagined and dreamt about for the past 16 months. Walking around and observing the kids was so familiar and natural. It was as if we never missed a summer and the kids just picked up where we all left off and for our new campers, their excitement and joy to be at Chenny is front and center. The spirit here is pure joy and Chenny is by far the happiest place on earth.

A few Inter boys were sitting under a tree together grabbing some needed shade from the hot sun waiting for their turn at archery. They were just chatting away discussing everything from Pokemon to the NBA playoffs. There were 6 campers and a counselor just shooting the breeze under a tree on a hot sunny day. What could possibly be better than that? Sometimes waiting for your turn can be way batter than the activity.

It was Round Robin tonight with each division doing their own thing. There was a Homerun Derby, Campfires, Basketball Tournament, Cake Making, Jewelry designing, Foam Slip snd Slide and other activities that your children had a ball at tonight. They are settling in and getting their camp legs as they are in constant motion.  Our campers are getting so much here at camp but there is no question that your kids are getting their steps in.  They are walking up the hill to Wiffle Ball then back down to the lake for tubing and up again to the skate park.  This experience your kids have embarked on is stimulating their mind, body and soul.

We are off to a great start and as our email to you tonight notes, all our arrival campers and staff tested NEGATIVE. We are one test away from getting back to normal and it feels so good.

 

Today is a new day. Today was a great day. Today marked the beginning of our kids getting their normal back. What a year we have all endured and as each and every one of you partnered with us in doing everything to get your kids back to camp safely, we applaud you. As every car pulled into camp, it felt like camp was getting its heartbeat back. There was just so much joy in that parking lot as you made that final stretch in this very long road we’ve been on. Well, were here and we all made it. Everyone is in and Summer 2021 can officially begin.

The energy at camp is ALIVE!!!! You can literally feel the joy. As we are podded by division for this first week, the fields were full of kids playing today and it was a beautiful sight to see. Happy joyful kids being surrounded by people and playing and connecting all day long is what happened at camp today. There have already been dance parties and singing sessions in The Lodge and your kids jumped right up and couldn’t wait to let loose. It was electric and it’s only day 1. Camp means more this summer than it has ever before. There was a group of Rookie girls who were playing a name game ice breaker in a circle and couldn’t have been any cuter. But as the game ended and the kids were heading off to another activity, I was lucky enough to overhear one camper say to another, “I’m so lucky I met you today” and her new friend replied with a sweetest smile, I’m lucky too”. It took my breath away because that is what this summer means to our children. They need one another and this is the beginning of making amazing friendships and having the best summer of their lives.

We ended the night at the amphitheater all together under the gorgeous night sky. The stars were so close you could literally touch them. The weather was perfect and the night felt magical. Outside, breathing the freshest crisp air with our friends right by our side. There were introductions and official welcomes but the night belonged to our GC’s. They all came up on stage together as one division, arm in arm, hand in hand. Together they wrote a letter from their heart and spoke of how hard it was to miss camp last summer and how incredible it feels to be back. They shared how they aren’t letting a moment be wasted this summer and how every day will be better than the next. They set the tone for our summer and their words and connection to each other were so genuine and heartfelt. They asked us all to think of a wish or a goal for this summer and then ended with lighting a Wishing Lantern. We all watched together as it drifted up in the air, shining so bright with all our wishes inside. It was a remarkable, sweet and and impactful moment we all shared together. But in true Chenny form, we had to end it with a giant dance party!!!

And so our summer begins.

Life is Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda!

Life Is And Always Will Be Great At Camp Chen-A-Wanda

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