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Summer for us represents total peace and when I say that I am referring to watching your children navigate to a place of total and complete peacefulness. I walked around camp today and saw groups of campers and counselors playing card games together, throwing the ball to one another, getting into a basketball biddy game, dancing around together, sitting and just talking to one another. Yes of course they were completely engaged in their activities but it’s the other times that they form these moments that literally fill up their souls with what they haven’t had in a  long while. It’s why we send our kids to camp, to connect and you just cant walk 10 feet without seeing their connections. It is my most favorite part of this experience and I think its theirs too. A group of boys were sitting around the apple tree playing cards, getting along, laughing and could only be describe as total and complete peace. It happens organically and it is the magic of this place.

There was a camper who shared with me she felt anxious reconnecting with her group of friends and worried about not fitting in. The worry was all over her face when she arrived at camp and she shared how her school year was pretty difficult so she came here desperately wanting to be at peace. She shared how navigating her world on line was so hard and she was so eager to have real friends rather than virtual ones. It took only 1 day for this amazing young woman to get into her groove. She was able to be herself and that worried anxious face she arrived with was replaced with a relaxed ease that drew her friends towards her. I watched her throughout the day and it was as if that coat of armor she wore all school year long was way to heavy to wear here at camp. By days end, she was holding hands with her camp friends and this young amazing girl found her peace. I literally saw her transform in a matter of 24 hours. After tonights evening activity, I approached her and gave her a wink as she ran off with a group of friends who accept and love her. She didn’t seek me out for advice or support. She didn’t need me and I couldn’t be happier. That world outside our gates is sometimes cruel and hard to navigate for some kids but here they can find comfort in being themselves. It was magical and my heart is full knowing for the next 49 days, that camper is at peace here at Chen-A-Wanda.

The day was full of team tryouts and kids were actively playing all over camp. Dance team, baseball, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, circus etc.. There was so many happy active kids – nothing better than seeing our kids outside playing and doing what kids are intended to do, Just to Play. After a full day of play, the evening was all about being entertained and Chenny didn’t disappoint. There was love in the air with our camp tradition of The Dating Game. From the Freshman to our CIT’s there were bachelors and bachelorettes asking hilarious and sweet questions and the answers were even better. We laughed from our bellies and had a night that was incredible. It’s days like this that make camp the most incredible experience and why we fall in love with this place. Best news is we get to it all over again tomorrow.

Chenny out.

Day 1 was everything we thought it would be, just PERFECT! Our campers jumped right into activities and boy were there happy campers all over camp. There is nothing like watching everyone begin their summer adventure and it started today. The day began with all our campers getting swim tested. The weather was warm so jumping into the pool was awesome. Smiling happy faces were EVERYWHERE.. If you can imagine a place where everyone you see is so happy and content, that is where we live for the next 50 days. Just pure bliss. We start our day walking to breakfast where everyone greets each other with “good morning” and “have a great day today” is our norm. It’s just what we do here and it’s contagious. The feeling of being here makes you smile at people you just met and it happens that quickly. The activities are awesome but the feeling inside our gates is better. There is just nothing that matches this feeling. It is no surprise why this is true happy place.

Activities were hoppin’ and kids were playing all day long. Watching them outside in nature, breathing this gorgeous fresh air, excercising their bodies, and relating to one another other in person vs. texting friends  in front of the computer is why there is no better place for our kids. There was a Junior girl who is new to Chenny this summer and as I watched her contemplate if she would try the trapeze, her new group of friends she just met encouraged her to climb that ladder and try it. She was tentative but looked at her new friends and said “ok…Im gonna do it, even if I am a little scared”. She took a deep breath, climbed that ladder and never looked back. She grabbed the bar, closed her eyes and all you heard and she went flying was a giant..”WEEEEEEE”. As she flew back and forth her eyes finally opened and that smile was priceless. When she was back on solid ground, her new friends all hugged her. It was magical and I felt so privileged to watch this happen right in front of my eyes. This is why Chenny is all of our happy place. Going from strangers to family on day 1.

As the sun set over Fiddle Lake, it was time for dinner and this night set our dance parties into high gear. It began with a flash mob our staff had practiced all throughout orientation. The kids went nuts, stood on the tables and watched our mob get down and it wasn’t long before the kids got into the rhythm and jammed right along with us. We became ONE tonight at dinner and the party just started. After a full day of insane fun, followed by a crazy dance party in the Lodge who thought this day could better and it did…. Our campers were entertained with some incredible magic by Eric Wilzig who blew our minds. The kids LOVED it. There were so many, “how’d he do that?” We all left Shields Hall scratching our heads not believing what we just saw.

So Day 1 Summer 2017 is in the books and if today is a sign of what is to come this summer, we are one lucky summer family because it was a perfect day. We are in the Chenny bubble and there is just no other place we want to be. Feeling pretty lucky we get this all summer long.

Chenny out.

 

Wow.. What a day. We have all been counting the days, waiting for this moment to come and it is finally here. There has been so many emotions waiting for Summer 2017 to begin and in a blink, here we are. There is nothing in the world like the feeling when we roll pass our camp sign and head to our summer home. Regardless if this is your 8th summer or your first, that feeling of excitement and anticipation is palpable. You can actually feel it- It’s pure electricity. As each bus rolled in, they were greeted by their friends and counselors who were chanting and cheering for their arrival. There was so much love at camp today, when the campers arrived it felt like our camp became a home.

So we begin with a full house of incredibly happy kids, insanely spirited staff, activities that will inspire and a summer full of plans that will make this experience unforgettable.

We know that the start of this day wasn’t ideal for our Long Island families who dealt with delays we were faced with and we want you to know that your kids are truly remarkable. They handled this mishap with such an awesome perspective and though the bus stop may have presented some challenges, they rose to the occasion and didn’t let it effect the start of their summer for one minute. We are in awe of how they chose to put this in perspective. They had giant smiles when they got off the bus and were ready to go. It was awesome to watch them deal with challenges with such grace and ease. You have incredible kids who just rolled with it and we couldn’t be more proud of each and every one of them.

In true Chenny tradition, we all enjoyed spaghetti and meatballs for dinner and of course a giant dance party was happening in The Lodge. After dinner, it was off the Shields Hall for our opening night and it was incredible. A packed house, full of spirit and excitement was where you kids spent their evening. The smiles on their faces said it all. It was an absolutely perfect evening that kicked off our summer. So off we go to have the summer of our lives and as I told them tonight, they all deserve what is in front of them – A summer that will leave a mark on their hearts forever and it is our absolute pleasure and honor to provide that for your children.

Enjoy your summer and we will take it from here. Thank you for your support and belief in us and we hope to send your kids back in 51 days a bit more independent, more self confident, capable to navigate through things that challenge them, with a ton more friends and memories that last throughout their lifetime.

Chenny out.

To All Our Chenny Parents:

Crazy that this day has come but sadly it has. To try and explain how incredible it has been to live with your kids for these past 49 days is beyond difficult. They have enriched our lives and given us so much joy, words can’t quite adequately explain how much this experience means to us. We build this community each summer, actually it’s a family who respects and adores one another. Your children make our hearts grow bigger and allow us to see the goodness in this world. It’s as if for 49 days out the year, we fill up on love and kindness, conversation and connections, friends from all around the globe and experiences that brings out the best in every single one of us.. You have given them such a gift by sending them to Camp Chen-A-Wanda and we thank you for believing in us. It takes a huge village to create what we have up here and we are so grateful to have your kids be a part of this incredible unique life changing experience.

So we send you back your kids tomorrow, a lot wiser, more independent and capable, full of incredible memories they made with true friends right by their side. It was an incredible summer and we just can’t thank you enough for your trust and support as we created a world that your kids thrived in. We read the following letter to them tonight, at their last night here at their summer home. It was emotional and it was the most perfect ending to the most perfect summer. Enjoy those babies of yours tomorrow. We will miss them so much.

To the best campers in the entire world,

I stood right in this very spot 58 days ago before the kids arrived and tried to explain to you, our staff how meaningful this journey will be for everyone in this hall and words just can never do justice to what we all have just experienced. Camp Chen-A-Wanda is more than a summer camp, it is a place we get to experience the best parts of humanity, it is kindness, it is confidence, it is a lot of warm embraces, it is daring to be different, it is courage and bravery, it is seeing mountains in front of you and knowing in your heart you can get through them, it is believing in yourself and it is letting people in, it is never doubting how special and important each one of you are. We see what happens when we let others in, our hearts get bigger and our world opens up in ways we never thought possible.

When you campers rolled into camp just 49 days ago, it was like someone turned the lights on here and we were able to begin our summer because when you aren’t here, it just doesn’t feel right. You are the rhythm to the music we make everyday we spend here. There are no two summers that are alike here and this one was by far magical beyond our wildest dreams. We watched you do things everyday here at camp that brings connection and human contact into your lives. Jon and I wish for a lot of things but our number one desire is for you to bring this home with you – the feeling of connecting and communicating with people is essential to have days and nights that make us feel fulfilled, satisfied, happy and so full of joy. You did that every day this summer. You held hands and told friends how important they are to you. You built really important and meaningful relationships that changed who you are. You disagreed and resolved your conflicts and you made-up because that is what friend’s do. Remember that talking is so much better than texting and love and kindness will always, always win over fear and anger.

As we keep looking forward, we  look at our incredibly happy GC’s as you will be the first ever in Chenny history to live on “The Hill” and we can’t wait to build this for you and the GC’s that will follow in your footsteps for years to come- But GC’s, boy oh boy do you have big shoes to fill next summer because our CIT’s of summer 16, blew our minds. You came into this summer with the most positive attitudes. Everything you did, you did as a unified group and watching you grow into who you have become has been a joy that Jon and I are so grateful for. You are our kids and will forever be our kids. Each one of you added to the rhythm of this summer as you lead with so much positive energy, it was contagious. Navajo – we hope you loved all those changes we made for you this summer. You spread so much camp spirit this summer that all the younger kids couldn’t help but look up to you in awe as you define what a Chenny kid is. To every camper inside this hall, this is your house and you make Camp Chen-A-Wanda feel like a home. Thank you campers for inspiring us, filling our lives with so much joy, making us smile all summer long and reminding us adults too not sweat the small stuff.

So another summer is in the books and regular life awaits us all just beyond our gates. Take Summer 2016 with you and just when life seems to get complicated, disconnected, stressful and routine when you get home, take a deep breath, close your eyes, dream of fiddle lake sunsets, stand on your table and dance while singing at the top of your lungs, and say out loud and say it proud – Life is Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda!!!!

For the last time this summer.

Chenny out.

 

 

Reality has set in that our last days of summer 2016 are upon us. It is a mix of emotion here at camp as we are organizing for the end. Cleaning out our cubbies and night stands, reminiscing about the last 7 weeks, making plans for winter get togethers and feeling not ready to leave this place. It is really happening and there is just no way to make time stop. We know we all must leave but it’s just so hard.

As the sun was setting over Fiddle Lake, we were all dressed up in our best outfits and headed to center camp where we took pictures together with our friends & counselors. Everyone looked beautiful. Groups stood on the dock, arm in arm smiling for that group picture that will be looked at 1000 times as soon they return home only to remind us of this very night. They captured those moments that made us feel whole on the inside. Our friends here just get us. They know everything about us, they accept everything about us. You can see it in the ease on your children’s faces. Living happy is how we choose to live up here. This night was perfect and as they walked into the Lodge, it was Hogwarts heaven. Floating candles, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff banners adorned the lodge. Invisible cloaks were available as they entered the room and the incredible Harry Potter music played all throughout dinner. We were transported to another world. What a night we had.

After dinner it was off to Shields Hall for our end of the year division Awards. Each Division highlighted the following campers in 3 areas; Honor Camper, Athlete of the Year and All Around Camper. They are truly standout campers and we couldn’t be more proud to highlight and honor them on this great night. To receive on this night is the highest honor we can give our campers. These are remarkable campers who deserve all the accolades and praise they were given. We have outstanding campers and tonight the light was bright on the campers we recognized with these extremely prestigious awards.

	CAMPERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2016 – Girls side
	HONOR		ATHLETE		ALL AROUND
FRESHMEN	Hannah Friedman		Paige Arenberg		Casey Ashkenase
JUNIORS	Ally Yagaloff		Jordyn Fersko		Dani Glickman
MIDDIES	Summer Housenbold		Bella Goodman		Phybe Nadboy
	Haylin Roth		Alexis Couthard		Brooke Bortnick
INTERS	Jemma Nelson		Riley Jacobsen		Mia Wallis
COLLEGIATES	Dylan Berlent		Mackenzie Rubovitz		Lily Satz
	Caylee Garland
SENIORS	Emily Kushner		Brooke Marshall		Sophia Jaffe
SUPERS	Halle Racenstein		Rian Marcus		Sofia Quadrino
GC’s	Daisy Chaskin		Emily Locker		Arielle Ashkenase
CIT	Stevie Weingard
CAMPERS OF THE YEAR
	HONOR		ATHLETE		ALL AROUND
Lower Camp	Jemma Nelson		Jordyn Fersko		Brooke Bortnick
Upper Camp	Halle Racenstein		Mackenzie Rubovitz		Sophia Jaffe

 

	CAMPERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2016 – Boys Side
	HONOR		ATHLETE		ALL AROUND
FRESHMEN	Ben Diamond		Chase Goldman		Alex Minkoff
JUNIORS	Brett Schuster		Troy Golden		Derek Herzog
MIDDIES	Jake Weiss		Jacob Pinsk		Drew Schimer
INTERS	Ryan Greenblatt		Luke Gottleib		Jonah Marcus
	Justin Miller		Liam Irizarry		Jacob Kaftol
COLLEGIATES	Tyler Skrief		Alex Levine		Ben Farhi
SENIORS	Sam Isen		Jared Shiffman		Sam Tell
	Zach Weiss		Alex Rosenbaum
SUPERS	Wolf Cukier		Brayden Schwartz		Jerry Kessler
GC’s	Zach Olson		Joey Block		Eli Kellner
CIT	David Smolowitz
CAMPERS OF THE YEAR
	HONOR		ATHLETE		ALL AROUND
Lower Camp	Jake Weiss		Troy Golden		Jacob Kaftol
Upper Camp	Zach Weiss		Brayden Schwartz		Eli Kellner

After the Awards, it was party time and we danced all night long. Shields Hall was full of campers who let loose and danced until their feet hurt. It was over the top fun having our last true dance party with our summer family. It’s so hard to believe the summer is over but we definitely went out with a bang. As campers headed back to their bunks full of glow sticks, T-shirts, tiaras and other items that were given out at the party, everyone was exhausted and elated and had the times of their life tonight. It was a party like no other as we celebrated an amazing season. It was just an incredible way to end an incredible summer. One more day to go Chenny.

Chenny out