We have waited all year long for this day to happen and it’s here. There are no more countdowns or marking off days on our calendars. There are no more WandaWednesday pictures that remind us of where we all want to be. We are actually here, in camp and the wait is no longer.  We all loaded those buses and headed to Camp Chen-A-Wanda, our home for the next 50 days. It was a big day for each and every one of us. Getting on that bus for many of our newest Chenny campers took a tremendous amount of courage and they did it.

The weather was ideal and as the sun shinned down on all of us, you couldn’t help but feel the love here at CAW. Watching old friends reunite with one another is just magical and is a sight to see. It warms you from the inside out. And as our new campers walked off the buses, some nervous, most excited but they too saw and felt the love they were walking into. Counselors were there with open arms and warm smiles. Today was perfect in every way.

Our first dinner was insanely fun with a dance party and sing along jam session. Campers were arm and arm singing at top of their lungs. Something quite magnificent happens when you have a room full of people singing together. It unites us, it inspires us and it just feels so good.  Then it was off to Shields Hall for tonight’s evening activity. We all watched video highlights of last summer and as the images flashed across the screen, you could see the campers faces glowing with excitement as they are ready to start making this summer the best one yet.

A new junior girl camper summed it up best as she was walking back to her bunk after dinner with a new friend she just met this afternoon and said to her, “This place feels like home.”  And so the magic of this place begins….and Summer 2014 is off to a GREAT start.

Life is Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda!

Chenny Out

We have some pretty amazing kids here at Chen-A-Wanda and as you now we love to honor our Campers of the week. We are a bit backed up in posting Week 6 Campers of the Week. So please forgive us for the delay, but the following are weeks 6 and 7 Campers of the Week. It is beyond awesome watching these kids be announced at line-up and seeing their genuine reaction along with their friends who are so supportive and proud of this high honor here at camp. They are outstanding individuals and

Week 6 Campers of the Week

Freshman – Molly Isen & Griffin Gurewicz

Juniors – Melanie Korn & Jake Root

Middies – Alexa Hallen & Derrick Wills

Inters – Dani Cohn & Evan Marcus

Collegiates – Shelby Myers & Garret Racenstein

Seniors – Carrie Mason & Ethan Greenfield

Supers – Alyssa Innamorato & Zach Temin

GC’s – Taylor Luck & Adam Heimowitz

CIT’s – Bryn Weiner & Josh Lomita

Week 7 Campers of the Week

Freshman – Lexi Tantleff & Max Gutman

Juniors –  Lily Satz

Middies – Taylor Heifler & Jonah Baum

Inters – Jenna Wolff & Jack Santoro

Collegiates – Emily Locker & Bennett Goldstein

Seniors – Sofie Wolf & Max Moritz

Supers – Emily Myers & Clint Snyder

GC’s – Dani Beck & Jakob Rubenstein

CIT’s – Madison Richman & Jonathan Swill

As the sun was setting over Fiddle Lake, we all got dressed up in our best outfits and headed to center camp where we took pictures together with our friends & counselors. It was such a beautiful evening and as we walked into The Lodge for an amazing dinner, we were all in awe of how beautifully decorated the room was. It was a Mad Hatter Allison Wonderland tea party and it was amazing. We dined on a 5-course meal and the kids loved it.

After dinner it was off to Shields Hall for our end of the year division Awards. Each Division highlighted the following campers in 3 areas; Honor Camper, Athlete of the Year and All Around Camper. They are truly standout campers and we couldn’t be more proud to highlight and honor them on this great night.

After the Awards, it was party time and we danced all night long. Shields Hall was full of campers who let loose and danced until their feet hurt. It was over the top fun having our last true dance party with our summer family. It’s so hard to believe the summer is over but we definitely went out with a bang. We had the best night and as one camper was heading back to her bunk, she held her counselors hand and said, “This was the best night of camp. Why does it have end?” We have one more night here and know that tomorrow will bring tons of tears as we all dread that final night where we will have to say goodbye to our most favorite place on earth.

Chenny Out

We spent the last official day of regular activities having the best time playing. The pool and lake was full of happy campers. The fields had tons of games going on and the biddy courts had kids playing on them all day long. It was like we all knew that this is it. Trying to get every last game in before we load the buses on Sunday.

It was time for one last Wayne County Championship game and our Junior/Freshman girls played their heart out today on the soccer field and beat Starlight 3-1. You could hear the cheers with excitement as the whistle blew and the game ended. These adorable talented kids ran around jumping up and down knowing they had just won their very first Championship. All they wanted to do was jump in the pool, uniforms on and all and that is exactly what they did. Together they held hands and jumped in with the biggest smiles on their faces; a moment that these kids will never forget.

The night was all about Late Night with Leahy and the buzz was in the air. It is an amazing culmination of great videos and presentations delivered by our Associate Director extraordinaire, Brian Leahy. It was hilarious and referenced everything funny about camp this summer. Every camper and staff member laughed till it hurt. It was like watching a real late night show with comedy sketches, give away pries and a Top 10 List. This evening’s activity is a camp favorite and even our counselors that were off duty, stayed to watch because it’s just that entertaining. Campers absolutely went crazy for the hilarity of what they witnessed. It was a perfect way to end a perfect day.

Everyone is looking forward to banquet tomorrow. It is the best celebration and we do it in style. We dine on amazing cuisine as we are all dressed up in our best duds. Then it’s back to the bunk to get on comfortable clothes and shoes for one amazing night of dancing and celebrating. Best night of CAW is just around the corner. It’s one big party and everyone looks forward to this night all summer long. We just can’t believe it’s actually here. Feels like we just rolled into camp and started this journey but 50 days have passed and we are looking at the end of one amazingly fun ride we’ve had.

Chenny Out.

We had a brunch morning and everyone loved the extra sleep after the last 5 days we all had. There was a chill in the air and a thick fog coming in off the lake. It was the perfect morning to stay cozy in our pajamas & hoodies and as we all entered The Lodge we filled our bellies with a delicious brunch. You can certainly feel the end is near. Lots of hugs and more tears so every meal, every moment we are trying to hold on to. Every song that was played in The Lodge struck a cord as we stood on our seats, wrapped our arms around one another and sang all in unison of how much we just don’t want to leave this place. To bear witness to this connection that we have with one another is moving beyond words can describe.

We spent the day having a lazy free play kind of day. There were movies in the Chen-A-Plex and some basketball games on Shields Court. There were some great GaGa games but mostly it was just truly enjoying spending time together today. You would see clusters of kids sitting on courts and playing jacks or cards, all laughing together and just connecting. It always amazes me to see a day spent of happy kids connecting face to face. Talking and laughing, playing and engaged to each other. We have spent the last six and half weeks without texting each other or connecting because we liked a Facebook post. We rainbow loomed together, we braided one another’s hair, we spent hours playing with our Spinablo together but most importantly we just connected.

Tonight was a big show and everyone was excited for The Chenny Globes. It is an annual awards show and the kids love it. There is a red carpet, Paparazzi and of course the Globes. Campers dress up for the show, as this is a real deal Hollywood-esque celebrity show. Tonight’s Globes goes to:

Nicest Eyes –  Sydney Bohm & Andrew Lahrheim

Best Smile – Jordana Leff & Jerry Kessler

Attached at the Hip – Kelsey Bloom & Brooke Marshall / Jason Levine & Chad Kagan

Best Hair – Alexa Becker & Eric Butler

Best Siblings – Kushners & Schnells

Most Likely to be Head Staff – Sophia Malkotsis & Jonah Baum

Camp Clown – Sarah Kaplansky & Matthew Kellner

Most Likely to be President – Mychael Schnell & Benji Herzog

Most Camp Spirit – Jenna Seitler & Matthew Gershman

Most Fashionable – Jayden Bier & Brady Weiss

Three more nights, three more amazing evening activity’s to experience. Thursday, it’s Late Night with Leahy, Friday is Banquet and Saturday is Memory Night.  Looking forward to a great last weekend at our summer home.

Chenny Out