Hey, Camp Fans!
It’s our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest! Like last year, we had a good turn-out for our camp stories so, of course, we’re very excited to post these stories to share with all our readers right here on the Blog. Everyone who submitted receives a $15 gift certificate and seven lucky winners will receive larger prizes of $25, $50, and the grand prize of $100. This week I’m announcing the first four winners of the $25 gift certificates and today we’re sharing the second $25 winner’s story:
Jake V.! 
Congratulations, Jake! You’re our second $25 prize winner! Jake spent some fun summer days at Round Lake Camp this year and had an awesome time, meeting fun camp mates. Read about it in his great submission.
“Over the past two years, Round Lake Camp has become my home away from home. I can’t lie, though, I was a little nervous the first time I got off the bus and stepped into ‘camp world.’ Would I have fun? Would I make friends? Would I feel homesick? My stomach was in knots as the bus left home and started making the long drive to camp. I listened to the other kids talk. It sounded like they all knew each other already. I was new though, so I stayed quiet. Then, we got to camp and we were greeted by friendly faces who helped us to our bunks. After I set up my bunk, I started to feel a little more comfortable. I introduced myself to my bunkmates and found that some of them actually liked the same things I like. That first day started out nerve wracking, but ended up being one of the happiest days that summer!
At Round Lake, I have made some awesome new friends. We share the same interests, like Star Wars and comic books. We share the same sense of humor and can easily laugh at the smallest things. It’s great to have friends outside of school. It’s almost like a secret society, or like I live a double life. That’s cool!
My favorite things to do at Round Lake are GaGa and archery. I’m one of the best GaGa players as no one can get me out. I’m usually the last one standing and some of the kids like to challenge me on a daily basis. It’s fun to be the champion! I’ve gotten really good at archery, too. It’s tricky, but it’s also relaxing. I like to get really quiet, concentrate on the target, and think about being one with the arrow. Those two sports are very different. GaGa is very loud and gets my adrenaline pumping, while archery is very quiet and helps me think. I like that I’m able to choose to be either loud or quiet at camp, as I think those are two very important sides of who I am.
Finally, Round Lake Camp is the best camp, not just because of all the friends you can make or activities you can do, but because you can be yourself there. If you are silly or serious, loud or quiet, it doesn’t matter. At Round Lake, it’s okay to be yourself. No one is going to judge you, make fun of you, bully you, or isolate you because of it. That’s why Round Lake has become my home away from home, and I’m counting down the days until next summer starts and I can go back!”
Thanks again for your submission, Jake. Sounds like camp was a blast yet again! Round Lake sounds like a great place with fun activities and fun people. For anyone else interested in Round Lake Camp, you can check it out right here. And, as always, thanks for reading!
- John