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It was another incredible day spent at our summer home. The weather was perfect and campers were happy playing outside all day long. It is why we do what we do. It takes a village and boy do we have an awesome one. You don’t see counselors without a camper holding their hand, sitting on their lap or catching a piggy back ride. It is such a beautiful sight to see as these bonds that happen and happen so quickly. Regardless if it’s wiping tears away and providing comfort to your children or just having a catch on a beautiful sunny day. These connections are so special and as a parent who sees this relationship with my own kids, I know that their presence in our kids lives makes them better people. Here, a twenty-something counselor has the ability to provide something us parents can’t. A counselor has the ability to motivate your children in a way that we as parents just can’t. They make their bed here, they put their laundry away here, they listen really great here. We give our children roots and sending them to sleep away camp is giving them their wings. It’s hard to imagine someone other than you understanding their fears, being there when they cry, tucking them in at night, laughing at their jokes, eating every meal with them and guiding them through their journey but this is what’s happening right now, every day and every night.

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan

Freshman/Junior Girls Soccer – CAW 1 @ Towanda 4

Inter Girls Basketball – CAW 28 @ Pearlman 0

Inter Girls Softball – CAW 6 @ Westmont 8

Collegiate Girls LAX – CAW 6 vs. Westmont 7 (Westmont forfeited due to rule violation – CAW advances)

Senior Girls Basketball – CAW 32 @ Wayne 18

GC/CIT Girls Tennis – CAW 6 @ Poyntelle 0

Inter/Collegiate Boys Basketball Tourney @ Towanda – CAW took 3rd Place

Collegiate Boys Hockey – CAW 19 vs. Westmont 11

The night belonged to Boys side with the best Boys Lip Sync I have ever seen here at Camp Chen-A-Wanda. We always hear from parents that their boy just wont get up and dance and every year not a single boy opts out as they come together with their division, lip sync, dance and have an amazing time. From the cutest and most adorable Freshman through the handsomely talented CIT’s, these boys put on incredible show tonight. The entire Shields Hall was mesmerized as they watched, clapped and sang along with the boys on stage. The crowd was so into tonight’s show – singing along, standing ovations and just loving every minute of Boys Lip Sync. It is the absolute best part of camp watching the support we give each other. We call it Chenny Pride and it is how we become family to one another. To see boys let loose, dance in front a packed house with such confidence and joy is awe inspiring. You have to see it to believe it. Confidence, swagger, freedom and fun is the only way to put it. To all those boys parents out there, if  you would never believe your son would get up on stage, dance in unison with their friends and even wear a tutu and love it – it happened here tonight. It was difficult but we had to choose the winner of Boys Lip Sync 2018 and for Lower Camp it went to Inter Boys and for Upper Camp it was unanimous- CIT boys WIN!!!!. What a night we all had.

Life is GREAT at Camp Chen-A-Wanda!!

Chenny Out

 

It was trip today and all our kids had the best day.

Cherokee spent their day at Camel Beach Water Park and loved every minute of their incredible day. They swirled around the Voretx, raced each other down the Checkered Flag Challenge and relaxed as they coasted along the Lazy River. It was a perfect day at the park. As the busses rolled back into camp, each camper walked off half sleeping still smiling from the day they just had. There were so many octopus hats, and bags full of goodies they got from the Park and as one camper so eloquently told me, “This was the best day I have ever had…ever.” It was straight to shower and bed and our youngest campers were sleeping within 30 minutes back from their exciting day out. Our little ones played hard and now they are sleeping peacefully. It have never been this quiet this time of night for our Cherokee cuties!!

Mohichan Campers spent their day at the State Park chilling out, swimming in the lake, listening to music, tossing a ball and just relaxing in the sun. Then after some fun in the sun it was off to the movies for a summer blockbuster –  Incredibles 2 or Ant-Man & The Wasp. It was a perfect summer day for our Mohican kids. Sun, swim, pizza, popcorn, movies and friends. Can’t get better than that!

Navajo had their incredible day at Dorney Park. What says summer more than spending it with friends at an amusement park? Going on roller coasters, eating churros, playing arcade games, winning giant over sized stuffed animals, getting your caricature portrait done and laughing all day long is what our oldest kids did on their trip day.

Our CIT’s spent their day at Ithaca at the beautiful Georges. They dipped in the waterfalls and was surrounded by natural beauty. Of course there were many photo ops there and that was just their morning. The town of Ithaca had quant shops and fun dining. After they shopped and soaked in the sun it was off to Binghamton for a night movie. It is great to be a Chenny CIT!!!!!

Everyone is back home and exhausted and sound asleep. Camp has never been this quiet. There is nothing like leaving camp and having the best day but the feeling of coming back to camp, taking a shower and crawling into bed is unlike any other. No stress here, just incredible fun times spent at awesome places with great people!!!

Chenny out

It was late wake-up today and we all loved the extra sleep, especially after Olympics. It was so nice to hear the bugle at 8:30am and the kids loved it too. We all rolled out of bed and headed to the Lodge still half asleep but what I saw made my day. There was a group of  boys walking to breakfast and they were all arm in arm heading into the lodge. They couldn’t couldn’t be physically closer and there was no conversation just a group of kids arm in arm walking to get breakfast. They were in step and clearly felt a closeness to literally walk to breakfast as a interlocked group. The fact that this was boys made it even sweeter. Human connection and closeness is why friendships here are as solid as they are. What happens here at Camp just feeds the soul. It has to be seen to be believed but trust us when say this is why Life is Great at Chen-A-Wanda.

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” – Vince Lombardi

Middie/Inter Girls LAX – CAW 2 vs. Westmont 8

Super Girls Soccer – CAW 9 @ Lavi 0

GC/CIT Girls Softball – CAW 4 vs. Morasha 11

Senior/Super/GC/CIT Tennis Tournament @ Indian Head – Olivia Leviss & Laine Bishop advanced to second round in doubles.

Freshman/Junior Boys Soccer – CAW 6 @ Westmont 5 (CAW wins in overtime)

Inter Boys Tennis – CAW 0 vs. Westmont 5

Senior/Super Boys Basketball Tourney @ Towanda – CAW WINS TOURNEY!

GC/CIT Boys Basketball Tourney @ Tyler Hill – CAW  played 2 games and lost

It was time for Campers of the Week and we couldn’t be prouder of our outstanding kids! What a Great Week

Freshman – Zoe Heymen & Alex Michaels

Junior –  Sofia Giarratana  & Cade McClure

Middies – Mandy Adler  & Noah Carrasquillo

Inters – Sarah Fernbach  & Cole Weiss

Collegiates – Jess Jaffe & Derek Satz

Seniors –   Jordana Brief & Justin Miller

Supers – Maya Hoffman & Scott Pinsk

GC’s  – Hannah Nissenbaum  & AJ Grisack

CIT’s – Maddy Grabow & Matt Gershman

Tonight was so much fun. One of those nights that every kid loved. It was divisional night and every group loved their activity. Freshman – Collegiates were in Shields playing Let’s Make a Deal – a show that the majority have never heard of but they had so much fun. It was just like game we all know and love. Who got closest to the price of an item, picking door number 1,2 or 3 and of course the Zonks! They had an absolute blast tonight. The Supers spent their night playing backyard games with a firepit and of course S’Mores. The Seniors had Cake Wars, the GC’s had card night and the CIT’s enjoyed hibachi at the Chenny Shack. It was night so perfect that when you walked around camp, all you saw was happy smiling kids. No TV or devices in sight. Just another incredible Chenny night.

Chenny out.

After two and a half intense days of Olympic games, Red Switzerland brought home the victory. The morning was full of games and the Olympic spirit was strong. Everyone gave it all they had. No matter if it was a game of steal the bacon, kickball or basketball the intensity and desire to win was there. Each team fought a great battle to the very end.

After a full day of games and track meets, the scores were too close to call and in true Olympic spirit, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO SING. We loaded into Shields Hall tonight and each team presented their plaque and banner.  The artwork was spectacular and will forever be a part of Chen-A-Wanda Olympic history, as we proudly will display them for years to come. Each team presented a Cheer, an Alma Mater and a March for the judges.  The lyrics they wrote and sang, the meaning and the heart in which they were performed made everyone in the Shields Hall feel as if they were part of something special. All singing in unison, these words will never be forgotten and will leave an indelible mark on all of us. To be present for such a display of sportsmanship, honor and camp pride is quite humbling. It was the following phrase, written and sung by Red Switzerland in their Alma Mater that so perfectly relayed the feelings we all felt today:

Two weeks gone in the blink of an eye.. Only five left to be with you..Without you what will we do? We cannot stop the hands of time and soon we will want to press rewind. SO hold my hand and please don’t let go.. Ooh Chenny my summer home. This special place we call our own. Memories we will keep .. without you we don’t know who we would be. 

What made this summers’ Olympic games so special was to see the elation of each team member on Red Switzerland as they worked so hard over the past few days and reached their goals.  There were tears of joy for winning and there was heartache of defeat for the teams that didn’t win but in the end these three separate teams came back together as one camp family and showed respect for the games and honor for one another. We played fair, we played hard, we played with integrity and most importantly we had so much fun. With our Olympic games, there will always be a victorious team, but everyone in Shields Hall won tonight.  After the winning team was announced, the energy inside the Hall was unreal. The spirit and elation could have literally moved a mountain. Your children experienced something insanely magical tonight which will be hard to explain to you at home but will forever be a part of who they are here at Chenny.

It will be hard to come down from our incredible night we all just experienced but tonight your children will sleep well. It’s late wake-up tomorrow and the kids couldn’t be happier. Olympics 2018 is in the books and boy was it a great one. Life is so Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda.

Chenny out.

Victory is defined by the effort of every single member of the team. When you do your very best, it develops a confidence that shines from the inside out. Our kids were champions today, not for the ultimate win or loss but how hard they played and how much they supported their team. Every field and every court was packed with kids playing their heart out and if they weren’t playing, they were cheering on their team. It was a sight to see. The spirit, the sportsmanship and the effort was on hight today.  When you walk around camp, in the midst of hearing all the chants and cheers during all the games, you also heard “great job, amazing effort, proud of you.”

Tonight was Apache Relay and everyone from our Freshmen campers to our CIT’s, play an integral role.  Each individual makes up the team and everyone counts.  No matter if you leap frogged from the Lake to Arts & Crafts, had to completely cover a piece of oak tag with paint, sew a button on a shirt or ride a bike to the finish line, the team depended on you. Tonight, Blue Haiti finished Apache by hitting that pole first only to be followed by Gold Portugal 3 minutes later and Red Switzerland bringing in 3rd place.  The intensity around the flag pole at the end of Apache in indescribable. There was a sea of Red, Gold and Blue cheering on their team and the pride is tangible. The dedication, the camaraderie, the spirit and the teamwork are in full force and we could not possibly be more proud of our kids. They displayed the best parts of humanity during todays games and Apache Relay. Inspiring is the word that comes to mind.

When all is said and done, it’s not the shots that won the championship that we will remember, or the home runs that matter but the way we treat one another and the respect we all have for our Olympic Games. All of our campers are sleeping peacefully as they rest their bodies for the last day of Olympics 2018. It all comes down to SING!!!

Chenny Out

It was an absolutely gorgeous day today.  The sun was out and there was a chill in the air. After the heat wave, it couldn’t have been a more ideal day here.  It was kind of a cozy sweatshirt day with the bluest sky you have ever seen.  The buzz around camp was all about Olympics and when it would break. There were assumptions it was today but everyone knows there are just no guarantees of when it would break. The anticipation was driving everyone nuts as a rumor spread throughout camp that this year, we were changing things up and not having Olympics. It spread like wildfire that Summer 2018 would be Olympic-less. Every bugle or announcement was examined with caution.. Was it true or was it false.. The wait was real.

“Do Not Let What You Cannot Do Interfere with What You Can Do” – John Wooden

Inter Girls Soccer – CAW 2 vs. Starlight 3

Super Girls Softball – CAW 16 vs. Wayne 1

Collegiate Boys Baseball – CAW 7 vs. Westmont 9

Collegiate/Senior/Super Boys LAX – CAW 5 vs. Starlight 9

GC/CIT Boys Soccer – CAW 1 vs. Westmont 4

Just when kids were begging to know if the rumor mill were true, it happened. The Olympic Fanfare music starting to play and with that first note, there were chants and cheers, OLYMPICS 2018 IS HERE!! The campers ran to Shields Hall and it was happening.  Our Head Counselors entered the Hall and brought the torch inside which signifies the games are starting.  Our camp is now split in three equal teams, RED Switzerland, BLUE Haiti and GOLD Portugal.

Just when we thought that camp could not possibly get any better, Olympics takes us to a whole new level. Tonight was a great night as we started our battle with Tugs of War. You could see the intensity on every campers face as they pulled that rope. The spirit is off the charts at Chenny. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Chenny out

Part of the Chenny experience is heading out of camp for trips. Everyone puts on their Gold Camp T-shirt and there was an excitement in the air this morning. Though we all love our summer home, looking forward to Trip Day is just awesome.

Our Cherokee and Mohican campers (Freshman – Collegiate) headed to the ballpark for Yankees AAA Rail Riders Baseball Game. There is nothing that says summer more than watching a game, eating a popcorn and hanging with your friends. It is just a fun thing to do with your campies. From the first pitch to the 7th inning stretch and singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” it all makes memories our kids will never forget. The laughs, the cheers for great plays and just sitting in the stands watching a baseball game. Even if baseball isn’t your thing, days like today are. The kids got back to camp around dinner time and it was straight to shower hour then to the Lodge for a Pizza Party. Their night ended with a movie night and the kids loved relaxing to a fun summer movie. It was just an incredible day for our Cherokee and Mohican campers.

Navajo Camp (Seniors-GC’s) spent began their day at Camel Beach for some fun in the water park. It was great way to beat the heat while having the time of their lives.  They swooshed down the toilet bowl, got lazy down the lazy river, slipped down the slip and slide and got bounced off the giant bungee blob. Then it was time to dry off and head out to the Crossings for some fun shopping and eating and that is exactly what they all did. It was a packed day of fun for our Navajo campers.

Our CIT’s enjoyed a packed day as they enjoyed breakfast at Binghams. If you have never been there, it needs to be on your bucket list as the world Best Breakfast!!! Then it was off to Syracuse for a camp tour and a pit stop at their student store. These kids are getting closer to college so any chance to check out a campus, is super fun for this group. After being blown away by touring campus, it was off to the Syracuse Mall for some serious shopping. They had the absolute best day. When they rolled back into camp around 11:45pm, they were exhausted. It was a jammed pack day of excitement and fun for this amazing group of kids.

All the campers are safe and sound back in their bunks, all exhausted from an amazing day out. What a successful  trip day, full of memories that will last their lifetime. Your children were absolutely fantastic and every place our Chenny kids were today, we received praise on how well behaved and respectful our campers are.  Gotta love that. We sure do.

Chenny Out

There is nothing quite like spending the 4^th of July here at Camp Chen-A-Wanda. It is the best place to celebrate our day of independence. Everyone got into the red, white and blue spirit. Faces were painted, flags were flying high, red, white and Blue tutus were everywhere and the continuous chants of “USA” were at every turn. Pride for our country was at an all time high and everyone got into the spirit. Our international staff was in awe of how spirited camp was today and how deep our pride is for our country. There is nothing more Americana than the 4th of July and today was just spectacular.

The spirit of today continued into every competition we played today. Our athletes played with lots of heart and soul.It was a great day to be a Chenny athlete.

Senior Girls Basketball – CAW 43 vs. Poyntelle 4

GC/CIT Girls LAX – CAW 4 @ Starlight 11

GC/CIT Basketball – CAW 29 vs. Poyntelle 37

Collegiate Boys Softball – CAW 13 @ Perlman 0

GC/CIT Boys Basketball – CAW 28 vs. Morasha 38

It was an incredible day here at Chenny but we all knew that the night was the best part and it did not disappoint. We all got cozy in our long and longs (that is camp lingo for long pants, long shirts). Then is was up to the amphitheater to watch our incredible firework show. We were decked out head to toe with glow sticks galore & flashing headbands.  We announced our 5, 7 and 10 year campers who received their sweatshirts and the pride was BIG. Spending summer after summer here is a big deal and each camper that had reached this milestone was given a standing O!  As the night grew darker and the anticipation was intense, we all counted down from 10 to 1 and then in a flash, the night sky lit up above us with the most spectacular firework show. I truly don’t know what is more impressive to watch; the sky light up with a rainbow of colorful fireworks or the look of amazement on your children’s faces as they watch with such anticipation for each firework to unveil above them.  They were just in amazement of what they were seeing and watching them enjoy it so, was a gift they gave to us. With every firework that shot into the night sky, there were eyes glued to the magic of what was happening.  There is something about watching a firework show that makes you feel young and reminds you that those summer nights are priceless. It was beautiful and fun. It was magical and it was a night we will never forget. It wasn’t just an ordinary night but a feeling that made you part of something pretty special.  We sang each song together and swayed our hands in the air in unison. There is  no place on earth would we rather be but right where we were, with one another at Chenny. We hope you all enjoyed your 4th because we sure did!!!!

Chenny Out

Part of this incredible experience is our cultural exchange with counselors that come from other countries. Our kids learn so much from people who may live completely different lives than they do. Different foods, different customs, different experiences and all these exchanges opens up a totally new world to our kids. Our international staff add so much value to our experience that it would be hard to imagine a summer without these incredible talented, kind, loving and committed people. My daughters have perfected an English accent and have been so positively effected from their counselors from across the pond. When we are open to people that may not be just like us, we have opened up a whole new world to our children and they are better people because of it. England played in todays Fifa World Cup and our campers got behind them. Our British staff was beyond excited about todays game – some even painted their faces with the UK flag on it. The spirit was insane today and when it was game time, it was all about England. We cheered together, we held hands with nerves together when the game went into overtime. We felt the same intense feeling watching this game together. The game ended in a tie which made it that more intense. There was a shoot out and England won 4-3. You can’t imagine how we blew the roof off this house with excitement. We ALL got behind England and celebrated together. Even the campers who may not have paid much attention to this game but it was England they were rooting for. It was the country of their counselors and there wasn’t a camper who didn’t feel the excitement and cheered with them. We are one family here and when we expose the world to our kids, the world becomes a place our kids feel safe in. That place that is so far away is right here next to us and always will be.

 

“Sometimes, things may not go your way, but the effort should be there every single game.” – Michael Jordan

Collegiate Girls Soccer – CAW 8 @ Poyntelle 1

Senior Girls Tennis – CAW 4 @ Lohikan 1

Senior Girls Tennis – CAW 1 @ Poyntelle 9

Super Girls Tennis – CAW 5 @ Lohikan 0

Middy Boy Basketball – CAW 21 vs. Nesher 7

Collegiate Boys Hockey – CAW 10 @ Starlight 2

Senior Boys Tennis – CAW 4 vs. Lohikan 1

We surveyed 100 people what the absolute best and most awesome camp is and the top answer is on the board…. CAMP CHEN-A-WANDA!! We played Family Feud tonight and the kids LOVED it. It was Boys vs. Girls and the game was close all the way through . Girls squeaked out a win by 1 point. The campers belly laughed, yelled out answers to the contestants and shouted out when they got an X. It was so interactive and all the questions were based on everything Chenny.

Chenny out!

We surprised our CIT’s this morning with a quasi strange packing list (to throw them off) and 10 minutes to grab and go. With no idea where they were headed. The excitement was building and the suspense was intense. Lots of guessing and half the fun was watching them wrack their brains on where they were heading. They boarded the bus and off they went. After a few stops along the way, they arrived at their destination and it became clear they were camping. The CIT’s hiked to a beautiful waterfall, swam in a crystal cool lake, pitched their own tents, cooked their own dinner, sang songs and told stories around the campfire. It was an incredible day our kids had and they deserved every minute of it. Good old fashioned fun and they will never forget the day they were surprised with a camping trip in their CIT summer!

Camp presents such a creative outlet for our kids to play and I have to share how much fun our Middy girls had building a spa right in Bunk F. The girls invited me to their bunk during rest hour and it was transformed into a peaceful, restful spa. There was a reception desk, a few spa mangers and of course a ton of technicians. I made my appointment and off I went to get my mani and facial. These girls created Relax.Inc. and it was relaxing. They had relaxing spa music and tons of customers who came to their bunk for services. They offered manicures, pedicures, makeup, hair styling, facials and more. I cannot fully explain how sweet it was to see your kids play spa and not to mention they know how to give an incredible manicure. It was sweet, it was creative, it was cooperation and it was incredible. Word has spread about the spa at Bunk F and the middy girls were ecstatic. I overheard one of them say to another that her books were full and they may need to be open up another spa. Entrepreneurs in training and it looks like Relax.Inc may become a franchise.

 

We play hard and We play humble.. Chenny athletes Rock!

Freshman/Junior Girls Soccer – CAW 3 @ Wayne 4

Fresh/Junior/Middy Boys LAX  – CAW 11 vs. Westmont 8

Middy Boys Tennis – CAW 5 @ Poyntell 0

Inter Boys Baseball   – CAW 5 vs. Lohikan 0

Collegiate Boys Basketball – CAW 38 vs Lavi 58

Senior/Super Boys Hockey – CAW 11 @ Wayne 8

Senior Boys Baseball – CAW 15 vs. Lohikan 0

With the weather still hot, our campers were either in the pool, lake or inside air conditioned buildings today. The kids had a ball today and we beat the heat. It looks as if the heat wave has ended and tonight a cool breeze came over camp. There was a chill in the air and happy campers all around. We live in a city with happy people and positive vibes. Even high temperatures just can’t take away our mojo here at Chenny. We go with flow and see where it takes us. Life is Great!

Chenny out