The Sari Diaries- Wednesday 7/4/18

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

I am officially in awe of the work, spirit, energy, commitment, and heart that the cabin of Lakeview put into making today what it was. This 4th of July will go down in the CRC history books as one of the greatest days of all time. This group of campers, along with their counselors, came together to provide a truly special day for the Chippewa community. I am incredibly proud of them, and I know that they are feeling good about their efforts. Each of the twenty-eight campers and four counselors in that cabin demonstrated how team-work, dedication and selflessness can result in such an extraordinarily rewarding experience. To get an idea of what this day looked like, please read on…

This morning, the camp had the privilege of being woken up by Lakeview banging pots and pans throughout camp. As soon as everyone had put on their 4th of July gear, we headed to the waterfront to watch Lakeview campers put on a little ski show. The vibes were already good even first thing in the morning…and everyone was looking forward to heading to the lodge for breakfast…not just for the amazing food but also for the big reveal of the 2018 4th of July theme! As campers flooded the lodge, it was so cool to see the looks on everyone’s faces…the lodge looked magnificent with murals decorating every wall. Chippies Go For the Red, White and Gold was done perfectly…the right side of the lodge was Winter olympic themed and the left side was Summer olympic themed. Each mural had a Chippewa reference- the thought and creativity that went into the transformation of the lodge was crazy!

After breakfast and cabin clean-up, we played the Circle Game in both the North and South Fields. The Circle Game is a long standing 4th of July tradition at Chippewa and let me tell you that the tradition is still alive and well! Lakeview read out all sorts of questions and campers/staff that knew the answers would run to the middle to win a point for their teams (teams were all different olympic sports). There were questions for new campers, returning campers, old Chippies and young Chippies..legit something for everyone!

We then headed back to the lodge for an wonderful lunch. Just so everyone knows, Lakeview planned the menu for the entire day…they had a meeting with Chris (the Kitchen Manager), and learned just what goes into ordering, preparing and making food for the camp. Needless to say, campers were extremely happy with the food choices available! This afternoon, after a bit of rain, we had a carnival like no other! To describe the energy that was present on the South Field during the carnival would be nearly impossible. I can tell you though that from Blackfoot to our oldest staff, fun was had. There was a gigantic slip ’n slide, ice cream sandwiches the size of your head, a bounce house obstacle course that ended in a water slide, tie dying and more. The music was jamming and all was well at #TheRanch2018.

The day ended with a BBQ on the messhall patio and fireworks in Three Lakes. I will say that this fireworks show was one of the best I have seen…maybe ever! It is always so nice to hang out in the massive field at fireworks, hanging with different cabins and chilling out after an action packed day. When we returned back to camp, everyone was eager to get into bed and get some sleep.

And that was that, a day that will be remembered by all as one of the most fantastic days of our summer. And that is exactly what Lakeview wanted. I think back to two weeks ago when I had the opportunity to meet with Lakeview and talk about their ideas and plans for this day. I believe their exact words were “We are willing to work as hard as we need to…we just want to make this a 4th of July that everyone remembers as being amazing.” And that is just what they did. They planned, they followed through and they had a good time doing it. They bonded over the late nights and then they enjoyed the day. I am so proud of this group and feel lucky that I got to experience their 4th of July!

Okay, goodnight to all- thanks for reading!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari