The Sari Diaries- Wednesday 7/8/26

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

We are coming off a high after this outstanding day at CRC. I mean I know I won’t do the day justice with my words but I will give it my best shot. Here it goes…

Our Day at CRC
-Morning Wake-Up!
-Breakfast- Belgian Waffles, Scrambled Eggs and Turkey Sausage Patties.
-Cabin Clean-Up- Cabin Clean-Up scores this summer have really been exceptional. Once again today we had multiple cabins with 100s! Congrats to Horseshoe, Copper Stripes and Timber Walk!
-1st & 2nd Period Activities- The last activities of first session rocked…levels were passed, fish were caught, the lake was hopping and fun was had! -Lunch- Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, French Fries and Vegetable Soup.
-Egg Marathon Run Through- We are officially ready for Egg Marathon tomorrow morning and we are so excited!
-Coin Ceremony- We had a lovely coin ceremony to honor Leona K (Bowed Legs) for her selflessness and Reagan Kay (C-C) for her strength. These two are very special individuals in our community and we are grateful for all they bring to their cabins, activities and the Chippewa family.
-Dinner- BBQ and Italian Ice!
-Cabin Lip Sync- This was truly the icing on the cake of a day. I always love Lip Sync because it shows off the talent and confidence of our campers! Tonight though was above and beyond…it was entertaining and impressive, like woah. I swear there were six cabins that could have won…it was that close. Rafter^X was adorable, Lakeview left it all out on the stage, and there were others that were creative and amazing. In the end though, Wagon Ridge and Bowed Legs were crowned the First Session 2026 CRC Lip Sync Winners!

Activity Achievements
-Alana S (Rafter^X) got up and around the lake on two skis!
-Mia R (C-C) dropped a ski and crossed the wakes on one ski!
-Scarlett L (A-Frame) dropped a ski and crossed the wakes on one ski!
-Leah S (Horseshoe) crossed the wakes on two skis!
-Lexi K (Horseshoe) got up and around the lake on two skis!
-Sunny W, Ivy S and Lucy B (Trailriders) sailed to the nook and back!

Everything Matters Moments
-After Lip Sync, I had Alexa R and Maya Fern (Rafter^X) in my office for a quick chat. We were first discussing the absolute cuteness of their campers on stage this evening. We then got to talking about packing and the process of helping their twelve eight year-old campers pack in an organized way…no easy task. And then they told me about a Friday tradition in their cabin- Friday Reflections. Each Friday they provide their campers with questions of the week- they ask about the week that has passed as well as their hopes for the week ahead. I had no idea that they were doing this but I absolutely love it.
-The cabin of Lakeview is full of thirty-seven campers who are unique, silly, strong and caring. They have grown together in so many ways since their first summers of camp; and at #TheRanch2026, in their final year as campers, it has been wonderful to see the way they have stepped up as leaders. Tonight, as they united on stage for a double performance (as is tradition for LV each year), they looked the part…the ginormous grins on their faces, the way they looked at one another and their unapologetic dance moves proved that what we are doing here works. We had nearly forty fifteen-year-olds on stage worried only about dancing their absolute hardest and living in the moment…it wasn’t for TikTok and it wasn’t for SnapChat, it was for one another and for themselves- embracing their childhood and their camper experience…it was a beautiful thing!

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is our Final First Session Campfire and First Session Banquet. We blinked and here we are…we spent the past three-plus weeks trying to be intentional with our actions and remembering that everything matters. It is my sincere hope that every single camper and staff member who lived this session at CRC feels a sense of pride for being a part of a truly extraordinary session of Chippewa Ranch Camp- one that mattered and will have an impact for ages.

That’s all for tonight- thanks for reading…see many of you very soon!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari