The Sari Diaries- Monday 7/4/16

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

Happy 4th of July! I have been excited all day to sit down and write this evening’s post…today was out of this world and I am thrilled to share many of the details with all of you! Before I get started I just need to let you all know how proud I am of our Lakeview campers. In their final year before becoming staff members, Lakeview has a number of responsibilities throughout the summer and one of those is planning the entire 4th of July program. When I say they went above and beyond, I am not doing them justice. They have been planning this day for what seems like a year (they literally began throughout the school year) and today, their hard work and dedication paid off…for them and for the entire CRC community! I want to thank each and every one of the Lakeview campers and their counselors for putting an incredible amount of thought and energy into one of the most important days of camp. Personally, I had an amazing day…more importantly though, the campers at #TheRanch2016 had a day that I am confident will be one of their best camp memories ever.

Our day began as each 4th of July in Chippyland has started for at least twenty-four years- Lakeview ran around camp banging pots & pans while wishing us all a happy 4th! Once in our red, white and blue outfits…and these outfits were definitely extreme…we headed to the waterfront for the program to begin. Lakeview had trivia questions about American history, they read us a poem to open the day and the LV Chippy Bats (Dylan S & Genna W) performed a mini ski show for us. The entire camp was cheering for them and they were awesome!

We then headed to the lodge and the anticipation to find out the day’s theme had reached an all-time high. Lakeview prepared in the lodge while campers eagerly waited outside cheering. As campers entered the lodge, they found out the theme…When Chippies Wish Upon Stars and Stripes…Disney themed 4th of July- seriously, can life get any better?! The lodge was decorated with fantastic murals that incorporated Chippewa, America and Disney. The camp was in awe of the quality of the murals and the entire lodge decorations!

Our morning activity was Circle Game- I mean is there any other game to play on this day? The camp was broken up into teams and half of us went to the North Field and the other half to the South Field. We created a huge circle and Lakeview asked lots and lots of trivia questions. Some were camp related others were talent related and still others were totally random. Campers, counselors and visitors alike loved playing…Circle Game is truly a game for everyone!

After a delicious lunch (Lakeview chose the menu for today), it was carnival time. I honestly believe that Chippewa campers look forward to the 4th of July Carnival all year long and I am confident that there were no disappointments today! New this year to the carnival was a dunk tank made by James and Luke. I was lucky enough to sit under it a couple of times as Briar L and Halle S aimed to get a bucket of water poured over my head…needless to say, I was soaking wet! I wasn’t alone though, in addition to dancing, eating lots of snacks, jumping on the tramps, slip n sliding and racing through the blow-up obstacle course, there were water fights and food fights going non-stop through the afternoon! It was a fun time in the South Field- that’s for sure!

Sadly, all 4th of Julys at CRC (and all over the world) have to come to an end. After an outstanding BBQ, we loaded the buses and headed to Three Lakes for the fireworks show. It was such a cute way to end the terrific day we had. We were all exhausted and laid/sat on the field looking into the sky at the impressive fireworks. It was the perfect way to end the perfect day.

Now as I sit in the office, I am once again reminded of how genuinely lucky I am to spend my summers in Chippyland. It is a magical place that empowers people and provides those who are fortunate enough to live here each summer a chance to thrive. There aren’t too many other settings where a group of fifteen year-olds have the opportunity to plan, implement and oversee such a large scale program for over three hundred people. This group had that chance and made the most of it. They were prepared, responsible and truly understood the value of this day. I am sure I say this every year but I legit cannot remember a 4th of July that was this good…from start to finish, every detail was taken care of. I am so proud of Lakeview 2016 and cannot wait to see what else they accomplish this year and in the future at CRC!

Okay, I guess that’s all for now…I hope you all had a good day too :). Thanks for reading!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari