Hey, Campers!

Over 11 million people attend summer camp every year; it comes as no surprise to discover that tons of famous folks went to summer camp, just like you. From actors to athletes as well as artists and business executives like musicians and record producers, a plethora of familiar, famous names were once summer campers like yourself.

Clive Davis—a record producer and executive in the music industry—was affiliated with summer camp. Having lost both his parents as a teenager, Clive learned from a young age that he had to work hard in order to take care of himself. He worked at Camp Equinunk as a waiter for two summers while making his way through law school.

Equinunk sits alongside its sister camp, Blue Ridge, on more than 400 acres of fields and woodsy trails as well as a 75-acre private, spring fed lake in Pennsylvania—just a few hours outside the New York and Philadelphia area.

He’s been called the Man with Golden Ears: Clive has won five Grammy Awards and has been inducted (as a non-performer) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He’s worked with everyone including a wide range like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon to artists of more modern times like Whitney Houston and Kelly Clarkson.

But before he ever dreamed of reaching such wild success in the music industry, Clive was a lawyer. He landed a job at Columbia Records and, over time, made his way up to president. After signing major successes, he went on to found Arista Records in which he was president and after that, he founded J Records. He is currently still a major player in the careers of popular artists today such as Aretha Franklin, Leona Lewis, and Jennifer Hudson.

Clive Davis discovered the successful results of hard work and determination. What wild successes will your hard work result in? As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Summer Camp Fans!

You know at this point that there are a LOT of summer camp fans out there. That includes kids, teenagers, and even grown-ups. Lots of grown-ups today were once summer campers like yourself. Some of them went on to become famous people. There are musicians, athletes, actors and actresses, and all kinds of celebrities who were once summer campers!

Gwyneth Paltrow was a summer camper back when she was little. She went to Brown Ledge Camp in Vermont. On the banks of Lake Champlain a little ways away from Burlington, Brown Ledge Camp is a residential, overnight girls’ camp.

Though she was born in Los Angeles, California, she enrolled in a private school for girls in New York City. During her enrollment at Spence School, she had the opportunity to go to camp and it certainly was a positive influence that affected her throughout her life.

She spent some time in Spain as an exchange student around the age of 15. She learned to speak Spanish and stayed with the Lazaro-Ruiz family in a town near Toledo. She’s returned a number of times out of her love of the country and the people she knows there. Julia Ruiz is quoted in an article for the online journal, El Mundo, “She was very warm from the first day, and ever since, we have maintained a good relationship.”

She went on to attend the University of California where she studied in anthropology. Once acting took hold, however, she became fully vested in pursuing a career with it. She hit it hard when she was just 19 in a movie called ‘Hook’—the story of Peter Pan, all grown up. Since then, she’s been in dozens of blockbuster hits including all three ‘Iron Man’ movies.

After a role starring in a 2019-2020 series called The Politician, she's taken a break from acting and has dipped her toes in the arenas of audiobooks, food, and cosmetics. 

As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

That autumnal chill is in the air again. As we see the end of August and the return of September, we’re reminded of the approaching fall season. It means apple-picking excursions, it means perfect campfire weather, and—who could forget?—it means football is BACK! 

Everyone’s ramping up for the new NFL season! The first game premieres Thursday night on September 10 with the Steelers taking on this year’s champions in Massachusetts—the New England Patriots. In honor of the Patriots, I’m posting about Robert Kraft, Patriots Owner and former summer camper.

Having spent a week or two at summer camp certainly gave Robert an excellent life experience at an early age. He attended Camp Androscoggin, located in Wayne, Maine—20 minutes west of the state capitol. There lie 120 acres of beautiful campground, situated on the northern shore of Lake Androscoggin.

After graduating from Brookline High School and Columbia University (where he played running back and safety in his freshman year) Robert went on to build his healthy business career. By the time he was 31, Robert was in control of two companies. Combined, these companies make up the biggest privately-owned paper and packaging companies in the country.

With an interest in sports, Robert found himself refusing a proposal of the then-Patriots owner, James Orthwein. Orthwein’s deal would have moved the Patriots team, placing them in St. Louis. But Robert countered the deal with a record-breaking offer (for the time) of $172 million to outright purchase the team. Orthwein accepted Robert’s proposal.

Eight years later, Robert financed the construction of New England’s new Gillette Stadium and has continued to serve as nothing but a positive impact on the success of the Patriots. Be sure to watch next week Thursday as the Patriots kickoff the new football season!

With beginnings at Camp Androscoggin, Robert Kraft grew into the successful and passionate businessman that he is today. Who will you grow up to be? And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

There are lots and lots of kids who attend summer camps every year. So many, in fact, you’re more likely to find adults who went to camp as kids than you are to find adults who DIDN’T. A crazy amount of celebrities are known to have spent a week or two at camp. It seems everywhere you turn in Hollywood there’s another former summer camper! 

Jonah Hill Feldstein—or, since you likely know him better as just, Jonah Hill—is an actor who has really shaped a strong career for himself. With passion for both writing and  acting, Jonah has loved to do both his whole life. He was encouraged by his supportive home life, school, and his days at Indian Head Summer Camp.

Spending those summer days in the splendor of the Endless Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania, Indian Head Camp certainly played a role in encouraging Jonah that, when he grew up, he could be anything he wanted to be.

During his college days, Jonah started to write plays that he performed at a bar in New York City. When his plays started to develop a returning audience, he realized his calling in life was to be an actor. Friends with Dustin Hoffman's children, Jonah was introduced to Dustin, who then advised Jonah to audition for a role in a film called ‘I Heart Huckabees’. It ended up being Jonah’s film debut!

Since then, Jonah’s acting career has been on fire! He’s in lots of films, has appeared as a guest star, and done voice work in an episode of ‘The Simpsons’ in which he plays an immature prankster.

Starring alongside other funny, former summer campers such as Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, Jonah played a role in Judd Appatow’s ‘Funny People’. With wild success in comedies like ‘Superbad’ and ’21 Jump Street’ as well as his more serious roles in films like ‘Moneyball’ and ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, Jonah has been nominated twice for Academy Awards and has nowhere to go but up.

Your future success could be similar to Jonah’s. Summer camp may just set you on the right path! As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Campers!

Now that you’re back from summer camp, you probably can’t stop thinking about how much fun it was! You know who else was crazy over camp when he was closer to your age? The great Billy Madison himself—that’s right Adam Sandler was once a summer camper too at a Union for Reform Judaism camp called Eisner Camp.

Located in Western Massachusetts, Adam spent his summer camp experience surrounded by the beautiful Berkshire Mountains, fun and instructive activities, as well as a community of camp friends. It obviously did him some good, spending time in a fresh, new, and natural environment where he was shown that he really could be anything he wanted to be.

So, he became everything he wanted to be. After his graduation from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1988, Adam went on to become a comedian, screenwriter, actor, film producer, entrepreneur, and musician. Alongside other greats like Chris Farley, Adam got a gig on Saturday Night Live (SNL). He rocked the comedy world and quickly showed the world that SNL was only the beginning.

Best known for his roles in hit comedies from the 90’s like ‘Billy Madison,’ ‘Happy Gilmore,’ ‘The Waterboy,’ ‘The Wedding Singer,’ and ‘Big Daddy,’ Adam’s gone on to perform more serious roles later in his career in films like ‘Punch-Drunk Love’ and ‘Reign Over Me’.  Some other career highlights have been The Meyerowitz Stories in 2017, Uncut Gems in 2019, and Hustle in 2022. He did voice work for several characters in Eight Crazy Nights and kids probably know him best for being the voice of Dracula in the Hotel Transylvania movies.

Almost the eccentric candyman, Adam was strongly considered in the early 2000’s to resurrect the role of Willy Wonka (last seen as Gene Wilder) in Tim Burton’s 2005 ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. Jim Carrey was also heavily considered before Johnny Depp took the role.

With success of such magnitude, you know summer camp had a hand in helping shape Mr. Sandler somewhere along the way. How can summer camp help shape you? As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John