Dear Chenny Families:

It has been a complete and total privilege spending our summer with your children. Tonight is memory night and as we do each summer, Jon and I stand in front of camp and close our season with a few words to everyone in Shields Hall. I have spent the past 7 weeks writing to you at home about what I see here every day and how these moments make me feel.  Tonight, I directed my words and observations to your kids. I hope my Blogs have accurately conveyed the joy we have all felt here and shared those moments that describe the magic we all created here together.

Thank you for believing in us and our team to take care of your kids all summer long. It definitely takes a village and we are so beyond proud of ours. Our goal for this summer was to Make An Impact and we sincerely hope we did that for your children. We want them to walk back into your home, a bit taller, a little tanner, more confident, feeling independent with a sense of deep pride with all they’ve accomplished this summer and of course having so many new friends in their lives. Everything we did, we did for them to create a world up here with lots of teachable moments and experiences that enrich their lives. So in just a few hours you will be holding them tightly back in your arms, waiting to hear all about the amazing summer they spent at Chenny and we hope after a long hot shower (they may need some help getting the color war hair spray out of their hair 🙂 ) and some good home cooked meals and a long long nice sleep, they will let you know that they just had the best summer of their life. 

Thank you again for sharing your adorable, kind, sweet, funny and smart kids with us all summer long. Our cups are so full and after some very needed sleep, we will be back at it again, making plans for Summer 2024! Enjoy your kiddos tomorrow and know that their summer family will miss them dearly.

__________________________________

To Our Chenny Campers:

Forty-nine days ago Jon and I stood right here in this very spot and officially kicked off our 2023 Summer. As we walked off the stage that night, I looked at Jon and asked him what kind of summer he thought we were about to have. He paused for a moment, looked at me and said “I have a funny feeling that this is gonna be a great one.” And boy was he was right. This summer has been truly outstanding. A summer that you all deserved, and we couldn’t be happier to provide  to you. You are the reason why we are all here and you, our campers are the heart and soul to Camp Chen-A-Wanda.

Now, to be able to make this happen, we brought together the most inspiring, engaging, uplifting staff that are sitting in and amongst you all. We brought them in from all over the globe, and we owe a huge thank you to this incredibly talented group of camp counselors, who made such an impressive impact this summer. To you our Staff: Jon and I agree that without a doubt and no question at all that there is no harder job on this planet than the one you all just completed. Being a sleep away summer camp counselor is by far the most challenging job you will ever have. It requires all of you, 24/7 and our hope is that you discovered a strength inside yourselves that you may not have known was there. We hope you discovered you are a bit more patient, a lot more adventurous, a tad more organized, really proud of the job you have done and we sincerely hope you are leaving here with a ton more people in your lives who you can rely on and call a true friend. Thank you for giving us all your effort and showing us your heart. We have no doubt that this experience and this summer will benefit your lives in ways you can’t even imagine. 

And to our campers, we did all of this for you . We wanted to give you a summer that would be unforgettable and would allow you to play and be free and feel connected to a community who adores you. I must start with a shoutout to the cool kids in the back of the Hall- Our CITs, you  arrived with the best and most positive attitude, and you set the tone for the incredible spirit felt all over camp, all summer long. It has been an absolute honor, watching you all grow each and every summer and now we bid you farewell and hope that you loved your experience here. It is time to say goodbye and we hope wherever you go and whatever you do, you will always remember how you felt when you spent your summers at Chenny.

We must address our GC’s who showed up and stood out this summer. You were an absolute force, and it is our pleasure to handover the keys to the castle and to officially let you know that The Hill belongs to you. From our freshman to juniors and our Middy’s to our Inters and Collegiates, Seniors and Supers, you arrived with a mission to play hard and enjoy every moment of this experience and that is exactly what you did. You definitely understood the assignment and watching you thrive was just joyful for us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being the heart and soul of this camp. We did it all for you and we hope you leave here with amazing memories that fill your heart all winter long.

Before we go, we have to address a few people who literally help us run this city and make it all happen. From Ally Grossman, who spent all year long, making connections with all of our new kids and families making sure that they were comfortable and connected to one another and to us so that the first day at camp you felt at home. To Nancy Berman who can do just about anything and everything, we love you and we are so grateful to have you part of our team and our family. And finally, to the people who we work with in Base Camp:  Jon and I have had the pleasure of working with so many people in our lives in our careers but Gary, Aaron, Howard, Brian and Laura are the most inspirational, effective, hilariously creative and smart people we have ever worked with and their presence in our lives both personally and professionally, make us better people. We love what we get to create together summer after summer after summer. You truly are the best in the game and we just cant thank you enough for everything you do.

Camp is truly a collection of amazing moments and what we did all summer long was exactly that, create incredible moments together. Together, we created a world where kindness prevailed and having fun was our priority.  With the help of our talented media team, they have created a memory night video that highlights all we’ve done and all the incredible people we’ve done it with. We hope you can sit back, relax and enjoy your memory night. And since we had such an incredible summer, I have a great idea. Let’s all meet here again next year and do it all over again. Thank you to everyone inside this Hall for making Life Really Really Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda.

With Love,

Elissa & Jon 

It was time to give out our last and final award out tonight for our Campers of the Week for this, our last week. they shined and definitely deserved to be recognized. Thank you to these outstanding campers who prove to be amazing to the very last moment. We are a better camp because these campers are here. They keep spreading joy everywhere they go. We are so proud of them.

Girls Side:

Freshman – Charlotte Pomeranz

Juniors – Audrey Levenberg

Middies – Sophie Gootzeit & Miranda Siegel

Inters – Julia Feldman

Collegiates – Maddy Klatsky

Seniors – Maya Kushner

Supers – Alexa Dombe

GC’s – Cammi Cohen

CIT’s – Jolie Krieger

Boys Side:

Freshman – Jace Johnson

Juniors – Dylan Bahari

Middies – Devon Luhrs & Austin Acree

Inters – Luke Holod

Collegiates – Chase Schwartz

Seniors – Brandon Worth

Supers – Max Coffman

GC – Nolan Irizarry

CIT – Jonah Burke & Lincoln Williams

It was our last Kind Camper for summer 2023 and these campers were so deserving of this incredible honor. All these campers were nominated by their friends who were so excited to share what special selfless act their friends did and we absolutely love calling their name and seeing how happy they are to be selected. The pride on their faces is priceless. Being kind costs absolutely nothing and the payoff is huge. We have been surrounded by kind campers all summer long and our sincere hope is that they all bring that kindness home and spread it everywhere they go. You should be so beyond proud of these incredibly kind kids.

Girls Side Kind Campers: Logan Cohen, Finley Rosenberg, Hallie Sambursky, Aubrey Donson, Kate Holland, Ava Sharaga, Camryn Nazeem, Emma Bruno, Zoey Goldstein, Kelsey Locker, Brooke Russak, Ella Mesh, Brynn Wolpor, Olivia Pall, Charlotte Pomeranz, Ava Koenig, Lily Koenig, Jordyn Kuperstein

Boys Side Kind Campers: Blake Zion, Jordan Schweibel, Tyler Lefkowitz, Dylan Bahari, Ryan Zaben, Nathaniel Menkin, Alex Orlando, Austin Acree, Logan Blatter, Aiden Wexler, Ashton Nadel, Everett Buscaglia

As the sun was setting over Fiddle Lake, we were all dressed up in our best outfits and headed to the beach as everyone took pictures together with friends & counselors. Everyone looked beautiful and handsome. The vibe was insane and just so full of joy. Kids stood on the dock, arm in arm smiling for that group picture that will be looked at a million times as soon they return home only to remind us of this very night.  It was a night that had a tangible feeling attached to it – we looked gorgeous, felt happy and it showed on every person here at camp.  Living free and happy is how we choose to live up here. This night was perfect and as they walked into the Lodge for banquet dinner we walked on the yellow brick road looking for the Emerald City. There is no place like home and there is no place like Chenny.  We ate delicious food, sang at the top of our lungs and danced together and everyone felt the love in the Lodge.

After dinner, it was into Shields Hall for our Counselor of the Year awards. We don’t just highlight our campers awesomeness but tonight was our opportunity to celebrate our outstanding Counselors of the Year. We are inspired by these incredible counselors who have put their heart and soul into providing a great summer for your kids. Congratulations to our brilliant and talented staff. We love them and so do your kids:

Boys Side: Aaron Platt, Cam Miles, Chris Duke, Fer Oteo, Joe Ball, Joel Cartwright, Jonathan Gamble, Mac Diley, Martin Johnstone, Oscar Towers, Tom Bates

Girls Side: Anneka Dougan, Carleen Bredin, Charley Godsman, Elisa Clark, Jessie Locker, Kayley Hefford, Leone Marshall, Mollie White, Pepper Masgulis, Sophie Chesterfield, Tara Lamb

After the Counselor Awards, it was party time and we danced all night long. Shields Hall was full of campers who let loose and danced until the very last song was played. It was a party like no other and we celebrated hard!! It was over the top fun having our last true dance party with our summer family. It’s so hard to believe our summer is over but we definitely went out with a bang. Campers headed back to their bunks loaded up with LED party sticks, unicorn headbands, T-shirts, baseball hats, glow rings and light up cat ears. It was the best way to end a summer like no other and the good vibes were all around tonight. We have every reason to celebrate and that is what we all did tonight. Your kids danced all night long and this summer has ended with a party like no other. One more day to go!

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.

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.

Today, I was lucky enough to walk by a game of Newcombe between the Inter boys and what I saw defined what Color War is all about. The game was mid way through and gold was dominating this match. One by one, the Gold team picked off all the Red players except one, Jake Zamkoff  who stood solo on his side of the net and looked determined to survive. Odds were most definitely against Jake as he was facing 7 gold opponents. But there was something inside Jake that just wouldn’t quit. Every serve, every catch and every throw was going his way and one by one Jake was defeating the gold team until there was just one single player left standing in front of him. The crowd grew bigger with every opponent Jake took down and it was becoming obvious that this game was one to watch.  It was Jake vs. Cade Modica, his best friend btw. They went back and forth and each camper was giving their absolute all but in the last play Cade threw the ball in the perfect corner spot and  took Jake out for win. Jake fell to ground in exhaustion and the crowd went nuts as everyone was chanting “MVP”to Jake even though he didn’t bring home the win. What he did bring, was pure heart. Jake never gave up, not for minute and everyone wanted to celebrate his effort. The entire Gold team showed respect and shook his hand and told him how incredible his game was. It was Color War perfection right in front of me. Everything we want from our kids was displayed in that Newcombe match and it was incredible to see. Every camper recognized Jakes effort first and foremost regardless of getting a win. A true Chenny win for everyone who was at that game of Newcombe.

There was a freshman boy who was having a bit of a struggle at dinner and when I asked him what was wrong, he replied “I don’t know if my friends like me.” My heart hurt to hear that he felt this way, even for a minute. I walked over to the red  kid captain, Caleb Gene who is in his division and I asked for his help. I explained that his friend was feeling a but down and Caleb  immediately found his friend and what happened next took my breath away. Caleb marched directly to his teammate and friend, put his hand on his shoulder and said, “I want you to feel safe here and camp is better because you are here. The Red team is better because you are on it.” That sweet boy made his friend smile and feel not alone. This is what camp does to our kids, they step up, show up and help one another when needed. There is no mystery to why Caleb was chosen as a kid captain.

This Color War is so close and the teams are within a mere of each other.  It is anyones game as these teams head into Quiz night. Tonight was all mental, as campers and staff had to answer questions about anything and everything from pop culture to math equations to Camp Chen-A-Wanda facts and everything in between. All day, our bodies were challenged and tonight we stretched our minds.  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 3 more days to go and the scores so close, it is anyones game. So here is to 3 more amazing days of exhaustion, exhilaration, competition and meaningful moments. We are making every single moment count until we get on those buses next Saturday and all head home. The end is near but not a day will be taken for granted. There is bit more to do.

Day 1 – Kids got dressed head-to-toe in their colors and went right into Tugs of war. The battle was fierce and the kids dug down deep to do their teams proud. They pulled hard and worked as team and showed a strength that they may not have even been aware they had. The faces of fierceness and the grunts of grit, Tugs of War brought the spirit of the games to life and set the tone to what is looking to be an incredible War.

It was fun afternoon full of games and competition with steal the bacon, BBG, softball, basketball and soccer, kickball to name a few. Your kids played all day and I say play, they played hard. After six weeks of non-stop action here at camp, their energy is pure adrenaline as they are giving everything they got. Campers and counselors went hard today and didn’t hold back on effort and so much spirit.

What happened tonight was a standout night. After mass games, it was contest night and there was something in the air. The energy was just INSANE. Kids were going crazy with dancing and singing in between their games of hip-pity hops and relay races. The vibe was just electric and the energy tonight was something special. Everyone was feeling good and having the best time.  It was a GIANT party where everyone was in the best mood to party and dance. There is no doubt that from the physical energy your kids produced today, that at this very moment, all our camp is fast asleep. Camp is quiet but not for long – In just a few hours, we have to get to Day 2!