Chenny Blog

To say the timing was perfectly on our side would be an understatement. There was nothing we wanted more than to welcome all of you to your kids  summer home while sharing the news we have been waiting  to tell you: The Chen-A-Wanda story will continue. After the past six weeks of fighting for this place we all love, being able to stand together with our camp families and celebrate this moment was one of the most meaningful experiences of our lives.

From the moment the gates opened and you all drove in, everything about today felt as close to perfect as a day can be. The weather was beautiful. Camp was buzzing with excitement. Parents got to hug and hold their babies,  siblings were back together again, campers showed off their bunks, their favorite activities, and best friends, and every corner of camp was filled with laughter and so much joy. But there was something more. There was certainty. There was pride. There was relief. More than anything, we wanted you to spend today simply enjoying your kids. We wanted you to walk around camp knowing that their summer home, the place that means so much to all of us, has a really bright future. Being able to give you that peace of mind meant everything to us.

We knew you all were rooting for us. And today, we felt it. The hugs felt different. The conversations felt different. It wasn’t just congratulations. It felt as though we had all walked this journey together, and today we crossed the finish line together. We cannot begin to express our gratitude for your love, your faith, your encouragement, and your belief in Camp Chen-A-Wanda. You carried us through one of the most challenging chapters of our lives, and we will never forget it.

As we watched families explore camp today, our hope was that you saw exactly what we see every single day. We hope you saw children who are happy, confident, and free. We hope you met the extraordinary counselors and staff who are helping write your kids summer story and who pour their hearts into making every day unforgettable. We hope you experienced the incredible sense of community that makes Chenny so unique. We hope you paused at lunch and listened to Will and Jake’s live music, and know that your children get to experience that joy every single day. Most of all, we hope you left knowing your kids are exactly where they should be, surrounded by people who care deeply for them, challenged to grow, encouraged to be themselves, and embraced by a community that loves them.

To every family who drove through our gates today, thank you. Thank you for bringing so much love, warmth, peace, and joy into camp. You made today magical. And the best part? Summer isn’t over yet. We still have three incredible weeks to go.

Dear Chen-A-Wanda Families,

For the past 20 summers, we have had the incredible honor and privilege of leading and operating Camp Chen-A-Wanda. It is not simply what we do, it is our purpose, and without question, the most meaningful work of our lives.

There has not been a single day in these past two decades when camp has not shaped how we think, how we plan, and how we live. Every decision we make comes back to one simple question: How do we continue to create a place where children feel seen, protected, valued, and inspired to become the very best version of themselves? A place that becomes part of who they are forever.

And it’s not just our campers. It’s our staff, so many of whom discover their confidence, their leadership, and their purpose right here. It’s the friendships, the traditions, the songs, the laughter, and the memories that live on for a lifetime. Chenny becomes something far greater than any one of us.

Because Camp Chen-A-Wanda is more than a camp. It is a family.

It is a family because it belongs to every camper who has stood on the athletic fields, every counselor who has changed a child’s life, every parent who entrusted us with their greatest gift, and every alumnus who still smiles when they hear the words, “Life is great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda” It belongs to all of us.

So when something this meaningful is threatened, you don’t step back. You step forward. You fight. And you fight with everything you have.

That is exactly what we did.

Over the past six weeks, we have walked through the most professionally difficult chapter of our lives. But we never gave up. This journey changed us. It strengthened our resolve, deepened our appreciation for this extraordinary community and reaffirmed something we have always known in our hearts: Camp Chen-A-Wanda is worth fighting for.

Your support and love became our fuel. And today, with hearts overflowing with gratitude and emotion, we are incredibly proud to share these words:

Camp Chen-A-Wanda is ours. We are currently under contract to purchase Camp Chen-A-Wanda with a closing date of mid to late September.

We are honored to share that, upon the closing under our contract, we will have 100% ownership of Camp Chen-A-Wanda and will proudly continue as its Owners and Directors. Protecting this extraordinary place and ensuring its future has been our greatest mission, and we are beyond grateful that the next chapter of Chenny’s story will continue with the people who have dedicated their lives to it.

As part of this exciting new chapter, we were thrilled to offer a minority ownership stake to one of Chenny’s own, Howard Berman. Howard is a true Camp Chen-A-Wanda lifer whose 31 years of unwavering commitment, leadership, and love for this place have helped shape its values, vision, traditions, and culture. There is no one more deserving to stand alongside us as we continue building the future of the camp we all love.

Together, we are proud to say that Camp Chen-A-Wanda is led by a united, deeply committed, and 100% in-house team, a team whose hearts have always belonged to Chenny and whose shared purpose is to protect its legacy while ensuring it continues to thrive for generations of campers, families, and staff to come.

Standing beside us is an extraordinary leadership team that has devoted their lives to making Camp Chen-A-Wanda the remarkable place it is today.

• Brian and Laura Leahy have dedicated more than two decades as our full-time Directors, pouring their hearts into every aspect of camp. Their unwavering passion, compassion, and commitment have shaped the experience of generations of campers and staff. Their leadership has created a culture where campers feel safe, valued, inspired, and loved, and their impact on Camp Chen-A-Wanda is truly profound and immeasurable.

• Gary Shields has devoted 37 summers to Chenny, helping preserve the character, traditions, and spirit that define our camp. His dedication ensures that every new generation of campers experiences the same timeless magic that has made Camp Chen-A-Wanda so special for decades.

• Nancy Berman, now celebrating her 26th summer, is the welcoming heart of our office. With warmth, kindness, and genuine care, she greets every camper and family, making each person feel like they belong from the moment they arrive.

• Ally Grossman grew up at Camp Chen-A-Wanda and has spent the past 30 years helping shape the extraordinary culture of Girls Side. Her wisdom, compassion, and unwavering love for Chenny have influenced generations of campers, while her guidance and support have become an invaluable resource for both new and returning families. Her devotion runs deep, and her commitment to this community is unwavering.

• Emily Gordey and Zac Krieger, our full-time leadership team members, have each spent the past decade immersed in the Chenny experience. Their energy, dedication, and passion for our mission have made them an integral part of our future, and they are deeply committed to preserving everything Camp Chen-A-Wanda stands for while helping lead it into the next generation,

This leadership team represents well over a century of combined dedication to Camp Chen-A-Wanda. Their passion, loyalty, and commitment are woven into the fabric of this place, and together we remain united in our promise to protect its traditions, strengthen its future, and continue creating life-changing summers for generations to come.

Together, we are stronger than ever. Together, we will continue to protect the traditions that make Chenny so special while ensuring its future remains as bright as its remarkable past. We will proudly continue serving the families who have placed their trust in us, while welcoming future generations who have yet to discover the magic waiting for them here.

To our entire Chenny family: Thank you. Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for standing beside us. Thank you for encouraging us when the days were hard and for reminding us why this fight mattered.

We couldn’t imagine a more meaningful time to share this exciting news than tonight, as we prepare to welcome all of you tomorrow for what will be a truly special Visiting Day. We are so grateful to celebrate this moment with the people who love Camp Chen-A-Wanda as much as we do.

The future is clear… Life is, and always will be, Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda.

With all our love and gratitude,

Jon & Elissa Grabow

Tonight was one of those evenings that reminds us what Camp Chen-A-Wanda is truly all about. The spotlight belonged to our incredibly talented campers during the Chenny Talent Show, and what made the night so special wasn’t just the performances, it was the courage it took to step onto that stage. Think about it for a moment. Standing in front of hundreds of your friends, putting your talent on display, and allowing yourself to be vulnerable takes real bravery. Whether they were dancing, performing comedy skits, singing, impersonating Justin Bieber, dazzling us with gymnastics, or showing off incredible Diablo tricks, every single camper who walked onto that stage took a leap of faith.

And Chenny did what Chenny always does. We showed up for one another. From the very first act to the final bow, Shields Hall was filled with thunderous applause, cheers, laughter, and standing ovations. The audience wasn’t simply watching the performances, they became part of them. Every camper in the room wanted the person on stage to succeed. They clapped louder, cheered harder, and celebrated every performance as if it were their own.

That is what makes the Chenny Talent Show so much more than a talent show. It is one of the greatest displays of friendship, encouragement, and community you’ll ever witness. When one of our campers takes the stage, they aren’t standing there alone. They have an entire camp behind them, lifting them up and reminding them that they are capable of more than they ever imagined. That kind of support builds confidence that lasts far beyond one summer. It teaches our campers to take chances, believe in themselves, and celebrate the success of others just as much as their own. You could feel the love inside Shields Hall tonight. It was impossible not to smile as camper after camper walked off the stage beaming with pride, knowing they had just done something brave and were met with nothing but celebration.

What an unforgettable evening. What an incredible community. And what a beautiful reminder that at Camp Chen-A-Wanda, we are always in each other’s corner.

Sometimes the most meaningful moments at Camp Chen-A-Wanda aren’t the ones we plan. They simply happen. Today, I was walking through camp when I saw two of our Junior boys sprinting up the hill as fast as they could. They weren’t just running, they were racing each other with huge smiles on their faces. As they flew by me, I laughed and called out, “Where are you guys headed?”Without missing a beat, and completely in sync, they both yelled, “SLIP N SLIDE!” And they never slowed down. I couldn’t help but stop and smile. These two boys weren’t just running to an activity. They were racing each other…so they could race each other again on the Slip N Slide. That was all that mattered. Not who won. Not what time it was. Not what was happening tomorrow. Just two buddies running as fast as they could to get to the top of the hill so they could throw themselves down a giant Slip N Slide, laugh all the way to the bottom, race back to the top, and do it all over again.

There were no worries. No stress. No homework. No tests. No phones. No notifications. No social media. No pressure. Just two boys, two pairs of sneakers pounding up a hill, and the excitement of hanging with your friend.  That is one of the greatest gifts camp gives,  the freedom to leave their bunk with a friend when the bugle rings, run up the hill together, and spend an afternoon doing nothing more than laughing until their stomachs hurt.

The moments when friendships grow stronger without anyone even realizing it. The moments when joy comes so naturally that you don’t have to think about it. The moments that remind us that happiness doesn’t come from screens or schedules or anything money can buy. Sometimes happiness is simply running up a hill with your best friend because you can’t wait to race each other down a Slip N Slide. I watched those two boys disappear over the hill, and I couldn’t help but think…this is what joy looks like.

Sports Center:

Dance Competition at Tyler Hill – Lower Girls placed 6th, Upper Girls 3rd

Freshman Boys Flag Football  Tournament – CAW 15 vs Westmont 12 / CAW 20 vs. Starlight 12 – CAW CHAMPIONS!

Collegiate Boys LAX – CAW 7 vs. Wayne 4 – CAW Champions!

Senior Boys Baseball – CAW 3 vs. Wayne 0

Super/GC/CIT  Boys Basketball @ Timber Lake – Jacobs Cup – CAW won 2 games to advance in quarter finals and in 3rd game gave a great effort but didn’t advance

It was a Round Robin evening activity and that means every division was busy doing something but tonight the moment was about our GC Girls who had the absolute best night at the Chenny Shack. The Shack is right outside my office, and from my desk I have a front-row seat to some of the sweetest moments of the summer. Whether campers are grilling, cooking, or simply spending time together, there is always something happening that reminds me what camp is really all about. Tonay, it was our GC Girls who stole the show.

Around each table was  a group of girls laughing, talking, rolling out dough, adding sauce, sprinkling cheese, choosing toppings and all singing in unison. There was music playing in the background, plenty of dancing mixed in with the cooking, and smiles that never seemed to leave their faces. Every girl was involved, helping one another and enjoying every minute of the experience. It wasn’t really about making pizza. It was about making memories.

Once their pizzas came out of the oven, they all gathered around the tables together, proudly admiring their creations before digging in. They laughed, shared slices, complimented each other’s masterpieces, and enjoyed one of those simple moments that somehow become the ones you remember forever. Everyone who walked by the Chenny Shack slowed down to take a look. It was impossible not to smile watching ou GC’s enjoying each other’s company without a care in the world. Those are the moments that leave me in awe. Watching our GC Girls tonight  reminded me once again that the magic of Chenny isn’t just found in the big events, it’s found in moments exactly like this.

Today was Trip Day Tuesday, and while camp looked a little quieter throughout the morning, the excitement was spread all across Pennsylvania as every division headed out on its own adventure. One of the things that makes Chenny so special is that every age group gets to experience trips that are designed just for them. As our campers grow, so do their adventures, giving them something new to look forward to every single summer.

Our Freshmen enjoyed a fun day at the movies, while our Juniors and Middies bounced their hearts out at Sky Zone before settling in with a movie. Our Inters and Collegiates spent an action-packed day at Kalahari, racing down water slides, floating the lazy river, and making memories together. Our Seniors and Supers had a day of shopping at the outlets before catching a movie together. Our GC Girls had an incredible adventure white water rafting before spending time at the outlets, while our GC Boys tackled the rapids before heading into an exciting afternoon of paintball. And our CITs packed three adventures into one amazing day, Sky Zone, a movie, and of course, a stop at Scoops to top it all off.

No matter where our campers traveled today, one thing remained the same, there was lso much laughter, friendship, and a whole lot of fun. These are the days they will remember long after summer ends.

The last bus rolled in and everyone is back in their bunk. Another incredible day spent with remarkable people.