Hey, Camp Fans!

With over 11 million people going to summer camp every year, it’s certainly no surprise to discover the loads upon loads of famous folks who were once summer campers just like you. Among many other musicians, athletes, and actors, actor Ben Feldman joins the crowd of famous folks mentioned on this Blog for their attendance of summer camp when they were young.

That’s right. Long before he ever did anything on Broadway or appeared as Michael Ginsberg on AMC’s ‘Mad Men’, he was a summer camper at Camp Manitou for Boys, located among in a quiet area of Maine around the beautiful Belgrade Lakes.

With a very standard upbringing, Ben and all you campers probably have more in common than you might imagine. He was born in Washington, D.C.  and got involved in the summer camp life as well as the theater program at school at the very young age of just six! Ben loved his summer camp experiences at Camp Manitou so much, that he just kept going back!

Even in his high school years at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland, he worked the summers as a camp counselor. He also taught a videography class for a few summers in Bethesda, Maryland where he went over some of the basics in the art of filmmaking.

After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts for acting, he went straight to work with fire in his belly. He moved to New York City and ended up performing on Broadway as an understudy for Jason Biggs. Eventually, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television.

For a long time, he took bit parts and remained the nameless character in lots of TV shows, but now he’s finally hit it big in his role as Michael Ginsberg on the hit show ‘Mad Men’ on AMC. See what a mixture of summer camp fun, passion, and determination did for Ben? Make the same happen for yourself! And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Summer Camp Fans!

I started this Blog back in 2013 and, posting about celebrities who attended camp or have had a significant involvement in the summer camp community, I’ve covered almost 50 celebrities. Some celebrities boast more involvement with summer camps than others. Backtracking a bit, it seems a good idea to review some of the big names who have a stronger connection to summer camp than others.

A couple weeks ago, I posted a second post about Lisa Loeb—arguably the queen of summer camp celebs.

As previously stated a couple years ago on this Blog, funnyman Seth Rogen was also a fan of summer camp—especially when he was 13. In fact, if it wasn’t for summer camp and Seth’s stay at Camp Miriam, the world may have never heard of this now incredibly famous superstar. In fact, he honed his stand-up comedy skills at camp and even used his camp counselors is his routines at times. Everybody say, “Thanks, Camp Miriam!”

Settled in the ubiquitous forests of Gabriola, Canada, Jewish camp, Camp Miriam features a fun atmosphere with a climbing wall, swimming pool, sport fields, a vegetable garden, and much more. What was so special about Camp Miriam for Seth? I think it’s safe to say it was the atmosphere of the community there.

Bringing the ‘funny’ to this fun setting, Seth quickly fell in love with his ability to make his peers laugh. At just 16, Rogen came in second place in the 1998 Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest. “As soon as I realized you could be funny as a job, that was the job I wanted,” Seth once said.

Pursuing a career in comedy—and nothing else—you might say Seth became rather successful, very quickly. A talented voice actor, you can hear Seth in such animated films as ‘Horton Hears a Who!’, ‘Kung Fu Panda’, and ‘Monsters vs. Aliens’. He’s even voiced for some episodes of ‘The Simpsons’!

Check him out in the video below for Camp Miriam and, as always, thanks reading!

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

Since this Blog began back in February of 2013, I’ve been posting about celebrities who either attended summer camp when they were little or have given to summer camps in a significant way. I’ve covered nearly 50 celebrities—some of whom are more involved in the summer camp community than others. I thought it’d be good to review some of those famous folks who have REALLY got involved.  

First, and possibly foremost, to get a second look is Lisa Loeb. Her awesome contributions to summer camps are easily her most notable claim to fame. And my post about her from two years ago only covered half the story. I talked about her time at Camp Champions, just outside Austin Texas, as well as her career which sprouted from her summer camp experience.

What I didn’t tell you about is the Camp Lisa Foundation that she started. Its mission: to help kids, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to, attend summer camp. “Summer camp was a huge part of my childhood,” Lisa has said, “Something I looked forward to, and a relief from the very demanding 11 years of all-girls school…” It’s clear that, after all these, years, Lisa has never forgotten what an impact camp played in her life.

Here’s how it works:

Released in 2008, Lisa’s awesome ‘Camp Lisa’ album—containing twenty-one songs, both camp classics as well as originals performed by Lisa, along with famous guest performers—is all part of the Camp Lisa Foundation. All the proceeds from ‘Camp Lisa’ benefit the foundation that she created, giving underprivileged kids the chance to go to summer camp.

Always pushing for greater awareness of the wonders camp works in youth development through having fun in natural settings, friends, activities, and becoming part of a community, the Camp Lisa Foundation is a fantastic achievement! Check out the album when you get a chance and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Campers!

Did you know that more than 11 million people go to summer camp every year? That’s A LOT of folks! And since everybody and their mothers went to summer camp at some point, it’s not surprising to discover the loads upon loads of famous folks who were once summer campers just like you.

It’s also not surprising to learn how many summer campers from back in the day have gone on to do fun, exciting work as successful, famous stars! There are some stars who achieve superstardom like Julia Roberts or Drew Brees and there are other famous people who are stars within their own field. Any sports fan, 25 or older, knows the name Peter Gammons.

Earning major awards in his field, Peter made a name for himself through his expert writing in baseball coverage. But before he became a big name sports writer, he attended summer camp at Camp Timanous in Maine.

An all-boys, overnight camp located 25 miles west of Portland on the shores of Panther Pond, Camp Timanous offers kids a fun summer stay at their magical New England setting where kids achieve a path toward self-confidence and self-reliance.

It certainly did Peter some good as he went on to attend an elite prep school and then to University of North Carolina. There he worked for the student newspaper as well as the student radio station. He began his career in journalism directly after his graduation in 1969 with The Boston Globe! And that was just the beginning!

As main journalist, covering the Boston Red Sox, Peter quickly took his claim to fame working alongside other legendary sports writers at The Boston Globe. He soon surpassed their fame, however, as he soon got work as a national baseball columnist as well. Stepping into the role of lead columnist for Sport Illustrated, he covered baseball, hockey, and college basketball.

By 1988, Peter joined the ranks of ESPN as a behind-the-scenes analyst, but come baseball season, he would appear on ‘Baseball Tonight’ and would frequently speak on ESPN radio. Voted the National Sportswriter of the Year in ’89, ’90, and ’93,

Get the most out of your summer camp stays and find out just how much good summer camp can do for you! As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

Admirable involvement in the summer camp lifestyle is everywhere you look. Knowing what a great impact camp can have on a kid’s life, people can play a huge role in supporting, donating, or even launching a camp. For never actually having ATTENDED summer camp when he was younger, Kirk Cameron certainly realizes the impact that camp has on kids. That’s why he launched Camp Firefly.

Best known for his role as Mike Seaver from the classic sitcom, ‘Growing Pains’ (which started when he was a child and stretched to his early adolescence), Kirk was certainly a teenage heartthrob in the 80’s and early 90’s.

‘Growing Pains’ revolves around the Seaver family, living in New York. The premise of the show starts with psychiatrist, Jason Seaver who starts working from home since his wife, Maggie, resumed her old occupation as a reporter. Dr. Seaver is left during the workdays to fulfill his job’s needs AND look after their four children: Mike (Kirk Cameron), Carol, Ben, and Chrissy. And heartwarming hilarity ensues.

Kirk’s gone on to do lots of recurring television appearances in shows like ‘Herbie the Love Bug’, ‘Touched by an Angel’, and ‘Full House’ as well as work in film such as ‘Beyond Witch Mountain’ and ‘Starflight: The Plane That Couldn’t Land’.

But beyond his work onscreen, Kirk has done awesome deeds of good will. In co-founding his summer camp, Camp Firefly, with his wife—actress, Chelsea Noble, these two have made a place where families with terminally and seriously ill children, can go to get a break from their exhaustive everyday that’s filled with medical treatments and financial concerns.

Camp Firefly is an all expenses-paid, one-week retreat not just for the sick child, but for the entire family so that, it becomes an experience that offers a burdened family to spend some quality time with each other and meet other families who share similar adversity.

Click here to check out more about Camp Firefly and scroll down to spot Kirk in this great opening sequence from ‘Growing Pains’.

- John