Hey, Camp Fans!
The ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest is in full swing for this year. We’ve been announcing our lucky winners and sharing their stories right here on the Blog throughout September. And today, I’m announcing our next $50 gift certificate winner! Today’s winner is….
Carol H.!
Greetings from Carol H., proud grandmother of two Camp Seneca Lake campers! Abby P. (age 10) just returned from her second summer at CSL. Sam P. (age 12) is back home after his third summer there.
In 2020, when camp was not in session, our family spent an amazing weekend at CSL family camp. I enjoyed my time there...after all, I hadn't been at camp since the 1960's! (I wrote about this experience in my submission last year.) Abby and Sam had fun during family weekend but missed the independence of being at camp without parents and grandparents.
In 2021 camp was back to normal...well sort of. There were four short sessions (two weeks, two weeks, two weeks, and one week) rather than two longer sessions of three and a half weeks each. There were no buses to ride to and from camp. No off campus trips either. And there was a COVID coordinator who kept everyone safe. Did you have one of those on your camp staff before this summer? Abby and Sam relished every moment of the four sessions they attended. They participated in sports, music and art, waterfront activities, camp-wide competitive programs like Color War, and Shabbat services. What they treasured most of all, however, was being with friends—real, live, in-person friends. This social interaction is what they missed during the pandemic. They seem to have bonded more closely than ever before with their bunkmates. They are already planning reunions and visits and they Face Time regularly.
Every morning I looked forward to seeing their smiling faces in pictures on the camp website. Their smiles made me cry. The camp photographer was amazing. Few pictures were posed. Most were candid action shots which captured how much fun everyone was having. Abby said she never even noticed the photographer!
I'm thrilled to be able to write an entry in this "share your camp story" forum. Everything Summer Camp has become our family go-to online store. Abby has created personalized name labels and laundry bags. Sam loves the bedding and even uses it at home. Camp trunks and other large items have been perfect holiday gifts. Purchases are always excellent quality, reasonably priced, and arrive quickly. Thank you, ESC!
The pleasure is all ours, Carol! Thank you so much for your continued interest in shopping our camp gear selection and participating in our 'Share Your Camp Story' Contest! We're thrilled to hear how much you and your grandkids have enjoyed our store throughout the years. That's so cool that you got to catch a glimpse of the fun that was had thanks to the stealthy work of the photographer they have--sounds like a pro! Glad this year was another summer of fun after the dud of 2020. If Seneca Lake sounds like the right camp experience for you, give it a closer look by clicking here. Tune in tomorrow when I reveal our next winner! And, as always, thanks for reading.
- John