Life Is And Always Will Be Great At Camp Chen-A-Wanda
For the past 48 nights, I have had the privilege of writing a letter to all of you at home, sharing the adventures, milestones, and magic that your children have experienced each day here at Chenny. But tonight feels different. Tonight, my letter isn’t for you the parents. Tonight, my letter is for your kids. Because before they board the buses tomorrow, and before this remarkable summer becomes another cherished memory, there are a few things I want them to know.
Thank you for sharing them with us all summer long. Until next summer.
To Our Summer 2026 Family,
Tonight is always one of the most emotional nights of the summer. It is the night we sit together in Shields Hall and realize that something extraordinary happened here all summer long. Seven weeks ago, you arrived with trunks, duffel bags, excitement, nervousness, and with endless possibilities and tomorrow morning, you’ll leave with something you couldn’t pack. You will all leave here with friendships that changed you. You will leave here with memories that will stay with you for an entire lifetime. You will leave here with a little more confidence and a little more courage. And hopefully, you all will leave here with a deeper understanding that you are capable of far more than you ever imagined. If there is one lesson this summer reminded all of us, it is this: We can do hard things.
This summer, every single one of you showed us what resilience looks like. You tried activities you had never done before. You played sports that challenged you. You stood on stages. You climbed towers. You jumped into lakes. You learned to live with people who were strangers just weeks ago. You worked through homesickness. You comforted friends. You found your voice. You discovered strengths you didn’t know you had. This is what Chenny has always been about. Not creating perfect kids but creating stronger ones.
This summer inspired us in ways we will never be able to fully explain. You all gave us strength just by embracing this place and one another and that allowed us to do what we needed to do to make sure Chenny continues on forever and ever.
We hope Chenny gave you everything you needed this summer. We hope you found a best friend. We hope you became someone else’s best friend. We hope you laughed until your stomach hurt. We hope you found confidence you didn’t know you had. We hope you tried something that scared you. We hope you failed at something… and understood that failure isn’t the end of the story. We hope you learned something about yourself and most of all, we hope you leave tomorrow with a heart so full that every time you think about this place, you smile. Because that smile means Chenny will always be a part of you.
To our Veteran staff:
Thank you for returning year after year because you believe in something bigger than yourselves. You are the keepers of our traditions, the protectors of our culture, and the steady hands that make this place feel like home. Thank you for loving these kids as if they were your own.
To our First-Year Staff:
You did it. You discovered that being a camp counselor is one of the hardest jobs you’ll ever have. It requires every ounce of your heart, your patience, your kindness and your energy. But somewhere along the way, these campers became part of your story. Years from now you’ll remember their names, their hugs, their laughter and the little moments that changed the both of you. Thank you for giving them your whole heart. It matters.
To the Heartbeat of Chenny, our Campers:
You are why Chenny exists. Watching you become the very best versions of yourselves is the greatest privilege of our lives.
To our Freshmen, Juniors and Middies, you reminded us that joy is contagious. Your giggles, your imagination and your excitement filled every corner of camp with happiness. Thank you for bringing so much joy to camp.
To our Inters, Collegiates, Seniors and Supers, these years of life can be really hard and we hope this summer reminded you how loved you are, how capable you are and how important you are. You got this and we believe in you.
To our GCs and CITs, We simply have to take a moment to honor all of you. This summer, you helped create something brand new with our very first 171 Cup, and what you accomplished went far beyond winning three games. Yes, sweeping all three was incredible, but that’s not what made us so proud. What made this event unforgettable was YOU. The spirit you brought. The energy you created and the positivity you spread. The camp pride you lived every single day. You didn’t just play for Chenny, you inspired Chenny. You injected camp pride into every corner of this camp, and every camper, counselor, and staff member felt it. You started a tradition that will live on for generations. Years from now, campers will look forward to the 171 Cup without even realizing it all started with YOU. That is your legacy.
So to our Supers & GC’s – You saw how it’s done. The bar has been set and it’s your turn to continue what they started.
Tomorrow you will all head home. Go be kind. Go be brave. Go be the person Chenny helped you become. Always Choose kindness and never forget, you can do hard things. Thank you for making Summer 2026 one of the most inspiring summers of our lives.
Life Is And Always Will Be Great At Camp Chen-A-Wanda.