Hey, Camp Fans!

Learning to be True to Your Heart is a great lesson that kids pick up at The Gift of summer camp. Is it any surprise that kids love going to camp ever since the mid-1800s—and Still?! Many adults nowadays are former summer campers themselves and a bunch of them have gone on to become famous icons. It’s my pleasure today to tell you about Mr. Drew Lachey of the hit group 98 Degrees.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Drew attended the Clovernook Elementary School in North College Hill—a suburb of Cincinnati. He moved on to the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) in the Cincinnati, Ohio Public School District.

While he didn’t attend summer camp in his childhood, he worked at one as a cabin leader at the age of 16. He spent two fun-filled weeks on the shore of Lake Fairlee, looking after the summer campers of Camp Billings and building an appreciation for the beauty surrounding him in the green hills of Vermont.

After his time working as a cabin leader at Camp Billings, Drew got involved in several interesting career paths before finding himself in a musical group. He found work behind the counter of a delicatessen. He trained to be an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and served as one in New York City. And he went on after that to be a combat medic in the U.S. Army.

Along with his older brother, Nick, and their friends Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons, the four of them formed the pop group 98 Degrees and achieved nationwide success.

No stranger to television appearances, Drew showed up on one of the ‘Hollywood Squares’ in 2001 and has had a handful of guest appearances on Nick’s MTV show ‘Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica’. He was also the winner of the second season of ‘Dancing with the Stars’.

If you’re interested in Camp Billings for yourself, you can check out their website right here. Even working at summer camp is a positive experience! Maybe you’d make a great cabin leader for some local camp. As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

Summer camp is nothing new. Boatloads of kids have been attending camps for more than 150 years! So it’s really not that surprising to discover former summer campers. They’re virtually everywhere you look. That’s why it’s fun to discover famous folks who were once summer campers as well. From musicians, to actors, writers, and athletes, lots of former campers have gone on to achieve great fame.

James Ihedigbo is a football player in the NFL. A sought after player, he’s made a name for himself playing for the Jets, the Patriots, the Ravens, the Lions, and now he’s been signed by the Buffalo Bills. A skilled safety, James is an obvious advantage to any team’s defense. But before he ever thought seriously about a career in football, he attended Pinebrook Camp in his home state of Massachusetts.

Located 35 miles north of Springfield, Pinebrook Camp presented James with the time of his life when he attended a summer stay there. The experience immersed him in the adventures of exploring the outdoors. In all these years, he still has the most fun when he’s playing outside. He played a lot of football back then. Wait—no, that’s not right.

Back then he played a lot of fútbol. That’s it. Soccer—as we call it in the States. He was pretty good too. And his dad loved to encourage him. But when he graduated grade school and started his enrollment at Amherst Regional High School, he took interest in a different sport.

James’ father didn’t like it when he started playing football. He wanted to see James stick with soccer. Still, like any good dad, he cheered his son on at the high school football games and it didn’t take long for him to come around to his son’s new favorite sport.

James went on to play for the University of Massachusetts from 2002 till 2006. With his performance as a UMass Minuteman, it wasn’t hard to get a professional team to sign him. Summer camp helped encourage James to find what he really enjoyed. What will summer camp show you? You can check out Pinebrook Camp for yourself when you get a cahnce and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Anywhere you look, it’s never difficult to find a former summer camper; they’re all over the place—which explains why there are so many famous celebrities who are former summer campers as well. Mr. Bill Paxton, is one of many Hollywood actors who spent some time at camp back in the day.

Long before he was ever known for his roles as the famed treasure hunter, Brock Lovett from ‘Titanic’ or the passion-driven storm chaser, Bill Harding from ‘Twister’, Bill was just a typical kid, born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas.

His father was a successful businessman, museum executive, occasional actor, and more, so money was never a concern growing up. His parents were able to build the house of their dreams along the country club golf course when Bill was only 8. Despite the wealth of money that Bill grew up with, he was raised to earn his money.

Resourcefully, Bill would spend his days collecting all the lost golf balls he could find. Then he’d set up lemonade stands and sell the golf balls back to the golfers.

In the same year, Bill went with his parents to join the crowds of people who waited for President John F. Kennedy from his hotel in Texas on the morning of his assassination. In a photograph that morning, 8-year-old Bill can be seen, being raised above the crowd!

He never actually attended summer camp AS a camper, but when he was a teenager he worked in the Carolinas at Mondamin Camp, near East Flat Rock. His town would put on an annual play of ‘Look Homeward, Angel’ by Thomas Wolfe at the Flat Rock Playhouse. “That’s when I first started thinking about acting and filmmaking,” Bill said in an interview with Southern Living magazine.

Summer camp has a tendency of delivering these transformative types of experiences that end up guiding us in our lives. It certainly did for Bill. What experiences will it offer you? You can look into Camp Mondamin right here if you’re interested in it for your own camp experience and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

In this chilling autumn season, it’s not uncommon for northerners and folks on the upper east coast to do some California Dreamin’. Ever wish you could Go Where You Wanna Go and not just for the weekend, but Monday Monday and any other day of the week? An east coaster herself, Ellen Naomi Cohen dreamt of warm California too, or should I say Cass Elliot, as she changed her name to? 

Well, you probably know her best as Mama Cass of the Mamas and the Papas anyway. She didn’t have California, but she had Camp Louise of Airy & Louise. Earlier this month, I posted about another former Louise camper, Shari Lewis—the voice of Lamb Chop (you can check out that post right here).

These brother/sister camps are located just a few miles away from each other in the Catoctin Mountains of western Maryland, Airy and Louise, each camp stretches out about 400 acres to display natural beauty along with the camps’ prided rustic facilities.

Some time after her camp experience, Cass’ family moved to a town called Alexandria in Virginia. She enrolled in George Washington High School, where she attended classes alongside rock legend Jim Morrison of The Doors. It was here, in her high school days that she adopted the name ‘Cass’. It wasn’t until later, however, that she would assume the surname ‘Elliot’ in memory of a friend of hers who died.

It was also in high school that she took interest in the art of acting. She was cast in a school play and really got into it. She moved to New York City after her high school days to further a career in acting (as mentioned in the biographical Mamas and Papas song ‘Creeque Alley’).

Cass searched the inflating folk music scene, watchful for where she might fit in until she stumbled upon two fellows, John Phillips and Denny Doherty, who had formed a group called the The New Journeymen. They knew they needed a new name with two females joining their group. A call to women as ‘mamas’ on television inspired Cass and Michele (the other lady in the band) to shout goofily, ‘We’re the mamas, we’re the mamas.’ John looked at Denny who was quietly saying, ‘The Papas?’

Incredibly famous in their day, The Mamas and the Papas went on to exceed greatness, but Cass in particular was always the star vocal in the group. After The Mamas and the Papas, she continued an impressive solo career with so much to offer the world. Check out the video of her beautiful serenading below and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Kids!

At Everything Summer Camp, we look far and wide to see what famous folks also turn out to be former summer campers and, so far, we’ve posted about more than 80 people! Shari Lewis was a definite must when we saw she a former camper! Her name may not be immediately recognizable to everyone, but we all know her for her adorable sock puppet character, Lamb Chop!

A professional children’s entertainer all her life—before embarking on her road to fame and fortune, she spent her summer days at Camp Louise of Airy & Louise. Located just a few miles away from each other in the Catoctin Mountains of western Maryland, Airy and Louise, each camp stretches out about 400 acres that display natural beauty along with the camps’ prided rustic facilities.

Shari was encouraged from a very young age to practice in the performing trade. Her father, who practiced as an incredibly successful magician, taught her magic tricks when she was 13. But she didn’t stop there. She also learned a bit in acrobatics, juggling, ice-skating, baton-twirling, and she learned to play piano as well as violin. It was an instructor name John W. Cooper who taught her the art of ventriloquism.

She went on to study piano and violin at New York’s High School of Music and Art and she took dance classes at the American School of Ballet. She also took acting classes with a group called Sanford Meisner in the ‘Neighborhood Playhouse’ association. After she finished high school, she registered for a classes at Barnard College, but she only stayed a year.

Instead of continuing school, she took her chance then and there to pursue a career in show business. When she was 19, she won first prize for a talent show on CBS’ ‘Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts’. This launched her into gigs hosting a handful of children’s television series in New York.

It didn’t take long before Lamb Chop was introduced to the world on an episode of ‘Captain Kangaroo’. With a number of other characters in her stockpile, Shari was ready to debut her very own kids show—‘The Shari Lewis Show’ in 1960. It replaced ‘The Howdy Doody Show’.

She appeared in lots of other shows among the years, but she finally hit it big in the early 90’s with her Emmy-winning show ‘Lamb Chop’s Play Along’ on PBS. She passed away in the summer of 1998. The world misses Shari Lewis and the wonderful talent and hysterical antics she brought to the world of children’s entertainment. You can check out Camp Louise right here. Check out a clip of ‘The Shari Lewis Show’ below and, as always, thanks for reading!

-    John