Hey, Camp Fans!
We’re announcing all our winners for the annual Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest! We’re thrilled to reveal our winners, hand out awesome prizes, and share their amazing stories right here on the Blog. Today, we’re announcing our second $100 gift certificate winner!
And the lucky winner is…Sarah W.!
Congrats, Sarah! You’ve just won $100 to spend at our camping gear shop for all your future adventures. Thanks for sharing your awesome summer experience at Bay Shore Camp. Here’s her story right now:
“The question is where to begin with a story about camp? There are so many images and memories flooding my mind as I try to write this, probably hundreds. Campfires and the mosquito bite count and slip and slide kickball. I’ve been attending Bay Shore since I was five years old, and went to Teddy Bear camp with my mom for two days. Every summer I would return for the best week of the year, eager to learn and play and grow closer to Jesus and new friends. This year was my first on full time summer staff- I have been living on campus since May 24th and will be there for a few more weeks yet. Bay Shore is like my second home- I’ve seen different aspects of it now; I have been on program staff and a cabin leader. From setting up inflatables, to fixing broken arrows, to leading cabin devotionals for a group of seven by myself, I have been immersed in this experience. One of my least favorite things is sushi time- rolling up inflatables, and one of my favorite activities is zipline. At the beginning of summer, I was so nervous to run it because it is a huge deal, but I am okay with it now. The past couple weeks, I have been in a cabin with the campers and I loved it. We had a senior night activity for the girls going into senior year and just graduated, where we played glow mini golf and ate ice cream. After, we watched the stars and were so sugar high we ding dong ditched the boy cabins and laughed until we couldn’t breathe. One day before I went into the cafeteria to serve lunch (cabin leaders are expected to), a group of campers gave up their free time to do a Bible study on Ruth and that made my heart so full. Fridays, the campers leave, and I wish I could keep them all with me, but I know I can’t. There are also a lot of rough moments, but I can always without doubt look back and see how God used me to impact the lives of those around me. Bay Shore Camp is just a place, but the people that make it up are the body of Christ, and I am so thankful I was willing to be there this summer!”
Hey, Sarah! What an incredible summer you had! It must be wild to look back on your journey—from attending Teddy Bear camp as a little kid to now being on full-time summer staff! Great work running activities, leading devotionals, and guiding campers through all their unforgettable experiences! Sounds like you did an amazing job, creating a fun and faith-filled environment. Your Bible Study sounds like a powerful moment and the sugar-frenzied ding dong ditch was hilarious! It’s clear that you’ve poured your heart into this summer. I can feel your love for Bay Shore!
Thanks for sharing your summer experience this year! If anybody else thinks they could fall in love with Bay Shore Camp the way Sarah has, check out the Bay Shore website by clicking right here. Come back tomorrow for our first $200 winner and, as always, thanks for reading!
- John