Hey, Camp Fans!
It’s that time of year again! Yes, it’s sad to say goodbye to another camp season, but at least now you get to look back on all the fun! That’s what the Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest is all about! Yesterday we announced Julia M. as our first of the four $25 winners. And, now, I’m about to announce our second winner.
For today’s winner we have….
Janet F.! Congratulations, Janet! You’re second $25 prize winner! Janet wrote in to tell us about her own camp experiences which she is delighted to share with her daughter now at Camp Kandalore. This is her submission:
I grew up looking forward to camp every summer. I felt it was a chance to spread my wings, take a break from my school crowd and reinvent myself. Once I transitioned from camper to camp leadership, camp proved to be a fantastic way to spend my college summers developing my leadership skills in the most majestic outdoor settings, meeting amazing friends and earning money to pay for tuition. When we had our daughter (Nya), my husband and I knew that camp was definitely going to be on the summer agenda. Thankfully, Nya has thrived in the camp environment (completing her 5th summer away). There are a lot of options for the summer, but for Nya, residential camp is always top of the list.
I grew up in Canada and now live in the States, but we send Nya back to Northern Ontario, Canada each summer to Camp Kandalore. The camp offers a wide range of land and water activities as well as an extensive tripping program. Activities are scaled to give campers of all ages a chance to push their boundaries and develop their skills at a higher level each year they attend camp. Every day campers get six periods; two are predetermined (swim and canoe) and the rest are choice. The goal is that all campers will come out of camp with some proficiency in swim and paddle and get to try a wide range of other activities.
Kandalore also offers nature and craft based activities and hosts an array of camp wide programs. One of the most anticipated camp-wide activities is the bi-monthly Waterfront Regatta. Campers join their camp-wide teams – Furtraders, Lumbermen, Pioneers or Voyageurs for this competition. Campers are assigned to these teams their first year at camp and remain on them for the lifetime they attend camp. Throughout the summer, the teams come together to accumulate points and compete for the overall team title. Bragging right not withstanding!!!
The other aspect I love about this camp is that it attracts campers from a wide range of geographic locations, both nationally (within Canada) and Internationally (the US and beyond). Nya’s cabin mates over the past few years have come from various provinces within Canada, the US, England, France, Dubai, Mexico and China. Many of these campers return each year, so Nya has developed some very treasured friendships and has a greater perspective on the world at large.
The camp setting itself is wonderful. The camp does an excellent job at maintaining the facilities and they are constantly making upgrades and improvements to the cabin structures and program equipment. We feel very confident dropping Nya off at Kandalore and allowing her to explore the various camp offerings at will. The camp also promotes a healthy respect for the natural setting in and around camp and the environment in general.
This stewardship is an important example for our youth and is necessary to protect and preserve the beauty and sanctity of this amazing area. Overall, Kandalore is extremely responsible and responsive; as parents, we have been extremely pleased with her experience and will continue to send her back to camp each summer.
Camp Kandalore rocks!
Thanks again for your submission, Janet. We’re so glad to hear that summer camp has provided such a healthy growing environment for, not just you, but Nya now as well! Camp Kandalore sounds like a wonderful camp. If any of our readers are interested in Camp Kandalore, you can check it out for yourself sometime.
Keep coming back each weekday in September as we continue to announce our prize winners. If entry is announced a winner, you’ll receive an email with the gift certificate code once all other winners have been disclosed. As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!
- John