Chenny Blog

The sun was shining bright today at Camp Chen-A-Wanda from sunrise to sunset. The feelings were great on camp and today was the last official camp day full of activities so the campers made the most of their day and just played. Every field, every court, every area was full of happy campers who played outside all day long. An absolute perfect day to end the official activities day.

It was our big End of The Year Awards tonight and for those families who are new, this is kind of a big deal. Actually it’s very much a huge deal. There are tons of ways we highlight and honor our campers every summer and we love how being recognized at camp makes them feel about themselves.  I can’t tell you how happy we are to call the names of all our Kind Campers and to see the smiles when they have been awarded Camper of the week. We love how encouraged and supported they feel when we honor those campers who make a difference.

Tonights awards truly honors 1 or, depending on size of division, 2 campers who excelled with great character and stood out from the crowd all summer long. These campers inspired those around them to be better people. To be on this list is a true honor and we are so incredibly proud of your kids.

CAMPERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2023 – GIRLS
	HONOR		ATHLETE		ALL AROUND
FRESHMEN	Savannah Lieberman		Ivy Havens		Savanah Zeitel
JUNIORS	Finley Rosenberg		Sophia Gene		Mia Pillersdorf
MIDDIES	Hannah Hochfelder | Mia Brandow		Kesley Locker | Sydney Roemer		Ella Mesh | Addison Orgel
INTERS	Mattea Seigal		Zoey Kornablau		Liv Penson
COLL.	Brooke Yecies | Fallyn Bassuk		Lexi Plotnick | Cassie Kaplan		Bailey McAlevey
SENIORS	Avery Strifas		Ella Ogulnick		Lyla Goldstein
SUPERS	Dylan Schissler		Abby Foodim		Zoe Lederman
GC’s	Sydney Mallah		Jolie Weiss		Casey Ashkenase
CIT of the Year	Kylie Ross

 

CAMPERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2023 – BOYS
	HONOR		ATHLETE		ALL AROUND
FRESHMEN	Lennon Ellis		Spencer Weinstein		Dylan Deitch
JUNIORS	Chase Weiss		Noah Hodge		Chase Harz
MIDDIES	Sid Haven | Jake Blitz		Drew Fisher | Cody Goodman		Ryder Picinich | Cooper Repinsky
INTERS	Jake Zamkoff		Drew Brous		Drew Kastin
COLL.	Max Bernstein		Ryden Rubovitz		Kyle Goodman
SENIORS	Landon Schlanger		Jake Shiffman		Ryan Donoghue
SUPERS	Brady Bornstein		Cole Sadofsky		Jed Schissler
GC’s	Cole Wallis		Alex Lindenbaum		Josh Kaftol
CIT of the Year	Graham Dooskin | Jack Wellikoff

It was a late wake up today and we all LOVED the extra sleep. After our lazy sleep-in morning, it was off to the Carnival for one amazingly fun day. There were dunk tanks, carnival games, water slides, marriage booth,  inflatable obstacle courses, snow cones, cotton candy and so much more.  The camp favorite today was the foam pit. Campers were loving diving into foam and being covered head to toe. They looked like snowmen coming out of the pit and it was hilarious. It was such a fun day and a great way to celebrate the last few days of camp. It’s a camp tradition to give away Carnival day gifts on this special day and this years was a huge hit. All our campers were proudly wearing  their awesome CAW Trucker hats. They all looked great and camp looked completely in synch with everyone wearing their Carnival hats!

The Carnival wrapped up at 4pm but at around 3:45  it was a downpour and there wasn’t a camper or staff member who wasn’t dancing in the rain. We got soaked and it was so much fun. When is the last time it rained and you just stomped in puddles looking to jump into them? When it rained so hard you just laughed getting soaked form head-to-toe and didn’t care for a minute how wet you were or how soaking your sneakers were. That was how our carnival ended today, with everyone drenched and everyone loving it!!!!

It was awards time with honoring this weeks Camper of the week. We are coming down the end and these incredible campers deserved to be honored for their great character and just how awesome they are to be around. A huge congratulations goes to all of them.

Girls Side: 

Freshman – Skylar Rosenberg

Juniors – Natalie Schwartz

Middies – Ava Koenig & Maya Rubin

Inters – Danielle Donoghue

Collegiates – Sydney Pinzon

Seniors – Maddy Frankel

Supers – Maya Knobloch

GC’s – Lila Klarsfeld

CIT’s – Sloane Irizarry

Boys Side:

Freshman – Jordan Teig

Juniros – Max Brandow

Middies – Judah Geller & Aiden Wexler

Inters – Justin Cowan

Collegiates – Ryan Katz

Seniors – Max Goodman

Supers – Dylan DeGeorge

GC – Chase Goldman

CIT’s- Anthony Scarcella

The most anticipated evening activity of summer is Late Night with Leahy and tonights show was INCREDIBLE. So entertaining , there is no other way to describe it other than beyond belief funny and fabulously entertaining. Brian Leahy creates the most entertaining videos and produces a show that is hysterical beyond belief and wraps up our summer with the most perfect late night talk show twist.  There are incredibly funny videos, dances, TikToks and Beats Headphones giveaways.  Campers and staff absolutely went crazy for the hilarity of what they witnessed tonight. A camp first was Gary Shields getting pied in the face and the laughs and cheers were deafening. The entire Shields Hall was chanting, “Gary’s getting Pied!!” It was a perfect way to end a perfect day and the ideal warp up to summer 2023. Ask your camper how Late Night was and we know they’d say, BEST SHOW EVER followed by a chant everyone on camp knows all to well…BRRIII-AAAN LEAHH-HHHYYYY!!!!

Just three more days to go until summer 2023 is in the books. We have had the most incredible summer to date and our Chenny spirit is flying high here. You can feel the energy, it’s undeniable but everyone knows the end is nearing. We plan on making the most of these last days we have together and nothing or nobody can stop the great vibes we are all feeling here. After the show tonight, a Middy camper came to me asked me how many sleeps we have until we go home. I replied 4 more sleeps. She then summed up what I know we all feel when she replied with,  ” I am excited to see my parents on Saturday, but I just don’t want this to end.”  She grabbed her three friends, they all held hands and walked off together back to their bunk. It’s hard to leave a place that makes you feel this good inside.

 

 

 

Our last day of Color War started out with morning  games. All the campers played hard and were great competitors. It’s been a great 4 days of competition and today was no different.  The rain came in and that didn’t stop us. It fueled us and there is nothing like playing in a little rain. It was full force ahead and everyone understood  the assignment- It was time time to win Color War. All the campers had great attitudes and played their hearts out to try and grab those last points for their team. Camp was buzzing this morning and everyone could feel the energy grow.

After our morning games, it was one last push with an afternoon with Apache Relay. Everyone matters in Apache and every camper plays a key role. No matter if you are being wrapped in toilet paper, running around the quad track, painting an entire oak tag board or are heading into the School of Rock for the infamous “unknown”, you count. It is a race that includes EVERYONE. It is fun, it is intense and it is Apache. When you think of the true meaning of this camp wide relay, you understand how connected we all are and how each part makes up the whole. The intensity, the focus, the anticipation, it’s all there and it’s why we love Apache. It was and incredible day and we literally didn’t stop. We played hard today and everyone knows that the finish line is getting closer.

As we always know, it really does come down to SING and tonight was no different. The artwork and songs were just incredible. Ask anyone who was in the hall tonight and they will confirm that tonight was pure magic. Both teams brought the “A” game tonight and it was a battle. Each team kept elevating the intensity as every song was stellar, every piece of art was mind blowing.  When the art was presented and shown to each team, the look of amazement blanketed everyone in the hall. Mouths were literally wide open and the look of wonder was on everyones faces. It was just SING perfection and we all knew this race was going to be close. Take a look here at our game of musical chairs. This is how we announce the winner and it was INSANELY fun!! The energy could move mountains and your kids felt the magic.  https://www.instagram.com/p/CvqlkoCJWt3

Congratulations to Red New York for being crowned Summer 2023 Color War Champions!

For five days our camp was divided and tonight we are again one camp family. Back together for the end of a great summer.  We made memories that we will never forget and have gone through experiences that will impact who we are. What we learned during Color War was  profound and we will carry these lessons throughout our lives. Only a few short days left and not a moment to waste. Tomorrow is carnival and everyone is super excited to just play, have fun with games, rides, prizes and cotton candy. It just keeps getting better, till the very end. We have a few more days to go and not a moment to waste. There is more fun to be had and more memories to make as we are determined to make every last day here count.

 

 

Not a day goes by where I don’t witness a moment that tells a story of why this experience is so profound. In Color War, there is ample opportunity to bear witness to greatness, strength, grit, determination, sportsmanship and selflessness. Today was no different and I was blown away at one of these many moments I am so fortunate to be present for. It happened at the pool where the girls were competing in a swim meet and one camper was a bit panicked and nervous for her portion of the relay. She didn’t want to let anyone down but was so fearful she would be the reason her team wouldn’t win the race. I overheard her telling her counselor how nervous she was and what that counselor said back was just beautiful and inspiring. She said, “The most important thing is that you get in that pool and try. Don’t ever let fear stop you from your greatness.” These moments are just so powerful and they go way beyond  what happens here. I watched that camper jump in the pool and finish her race. She found her greatness in finishing that race and not letting any self doubt stand in her way. What a lesson that she will carry with. her way beyond this color war. Fear can’t stop our greatness!

Knowing what Color War means to our campers, makes these 5 days not only emotional but it inspires each of us to dig down deep and reach our own potential.  Every one of us matters. Every point we score helps our team move closer to our goals.  You can see it on their faces and feel it in their effort and hard work. Your kids are finding strength inside themselves they didn’t know was there. You would be beyond proud of them. The cheers of victory are deafening and the anguish of defeat is real. This Color War matters to each of us and it is providing meaningful competition and pushing ourselves when we think we can’t, we are being encouraged knowing that we can. When we think we’re tired, we get up and push harder. Crazy to think about the impact this Color War has on each and every one of us. It inspires us, it motivates us, and teaches us that we can do great things together.

This Color War is so close and the teams are within a mere 24 points of each other. Yes, only 24 POINTS – We have had 4 full days of competition and a mere 24 points separates us. A shoutout to our Division Heads for some pretty amazing splits. It is anyones game  as these teams head into Staff Game Night.  Our campers cheered on our staff tonight who competed in soccer, basketball and wiffleball. Every game was like watching game 7 in the NBA finals or a Superbowl. The energy was intense and the spirit was high. There isn’t a camper or staff who isn’t giving it their all and pushing it to the limit. It is an outstanding Color War and with just 1 more day to go and the scores so close, it is anyones game. So here is to 1 more amazing day of exhaustion, exhilaration, competition and meaningful moments. The ride may be coming to an end but we are determined to make every single moment count.

 

Today we welcomed our our Alumni to camp and the joy they spread was contagious. Everyone was so happy to be back on camp and they couldn’t contain their enthusiasm. The sprit was electric and the energy was just joyful. It felt great to be part of this Chen-A-Wanda family and it’s truly incredible how everyone feels so connected,  even those alum and campers here now who just met. There was something that ties our campers who were playing a game of steal the bacon to our alumni who watched every move as if it were them on that biddy court. Some things change and some stay the exact same and a good game of BBG in Color War has consistently provided joy to generations of past and current Chenny campers. There  are no two summers alike but traditions like Color War experienced at Chenny will always remain the same. Our alumni floated through their day with perma-smiles on their faces and memories of their time here on Chenny filling their hearts. It was beautiful to see and amazing to watch how important this place still is to so many. One alum said to me, ” There is just a feeling I feel when I am here and I would do anything to go back and be able to experience this again. This place impacted my life so profoundly and was where I felt the most happy and free.” That was just one of the sentiments shared with us on how this place impacted their lives. All of our alum that came back today, have gone on to create lives lived with purpose and meaning and every one of them shared with us how this place gave them a foundation to go out to the world and do great things. Our hearts are most definitely full being able to continue this journey to positively impact the lives of those who made and are making this place their summer home.

Psych speeches are integral to Color War and they provide inspiration to each team at line-up and having our alumni here was a perfect opportunity to include them and inspire everyone. Former campers and staff, Mychael Schnell and Dani Beck gave a psych speech to our entire camp that took us all on a ride with laughter and joy to tears of heartfelt sentiment to finale of a giant sing-a-long dance party to Don’t Stop Believing. They defined what a psych speech needed to be and they delivered it so beautifully. There wasn’t a person at that line-up that didn’t feel something incredibly beautiful and inspirational. It was a perfect way to head into the last 2 days of Color War.

Tonight was a great event as we all headed to see the long-standing camp tradition of Rope Burning and Water Boiling. Counselors for both teams have been collecting wood and preparing for tonight all week long. Their faces are painted with zinc to protect them from the burning fire that they have created and the entire camp, watches with great anticipation as to which team while burn the rope and boil the water first. Tonight’s win went to Gold LA as they burned their rope boiled their water first but that was not the end of tonights story. Red NY had a challenge with lighting their fire but they just never quit. They stayed calm and collected and worked together even though they knew that Gold had finished their task. They were destined and determined to complete their mission and with the help of their entire red team watching and cheering them on, they kept going. Yes, Gold got the points last night but Red also won. They stayed the course, worked together, inspired one another and they too got it done. What important life lessons this is for our kids to have and hold onto.

Life was and still is Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda.