Hey, Camp Fans!

The end of the summer season means lots of changes, but it’s still good to look back and reflect on the fun that was had. We’re happy to proceed with our third year of the Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest. We’re very excited to post the stories we received right here on the Blog. All participants receive a $15 gift certificate and seven lucky winners will receive larger prizes of $25, $50, and the grand prize of $100.

Tune in tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday to see our other $25 winners. The following week, we continue on Monday and Tuesday for our two $50 winners and then on Wednesday, we’ll announce our top prize, $100 winner. Once our winners have been announced they’ll receive an email with the gift certificate code. We’re announcing the first four winners of the $25 gift certificates this week—starting right…now!

Today’s winner is….

Ella D.! Congratulations, Ella! You’re our first $25 prize winner! Ella spent some fun summer days at Gold Arrow Camp this year pushing her limits and facing some fears. Read all about it in this excellent entry:

“When I woke up that morning I was ready for what I thought would be just another perfect day at Gold Arrow Camp. I threw on a shirt and jeans, ready to face the day. Little did I know, I was in for a crazy ride.
       lChattering mindlessly with my fellow campers of Cabin Zero, we made our way to the dining hall. A couple of my friends ran to the activity board eager to know what fun we were going to have that day. Would we be pontooning? Kayaking? Personally I hoped we were going to have Knee/Ski/Wake.
“Yes!!” Zoey exclaimed. She ran back over to me, grinning from ear to ear. “We have High Ropes!” She squealed. Immediately my heart sank. It was a well known fact to my cabin that I was TERRIFIED of heights. High Ropes was torture for me.
       lFor the rest of the day I worried. Through Arts and Crafts, through Mini Motor Boats, and all through lunch. By the time we left for High Ropes, I’d worked up quite a sweat. I dragged my feet all the way to the ropes course, thinking of ways to get out of doing it. When we arrived I craned my neck to look up at the course. There I saw a very flimsy wire, seemingly miles up. I gulped. There was no way I would make it out alive. I walked up to the rope ladder and started climbing.
       l“Agghhh!” I made the mistake of looking down. I had successfully gotten to the top platform, with only one more obstacle to go. The problem was, this was the worst of them all. The Wire. I had to walk across a half inch wire, with nothing to hold on to. The wire would shake and spin, so I had to somehow keep my balance, while walking to the other end. In other words, it was impossible.
       lI had no choice though, The Wire was the only way out. I tentatively placed my right foot on The Wire. It wiggled. I put my other foot on. It shook. I placed one foot in front of the other until I was halfway across. Then I slipped. “AHHHHHHH!!!!!” I squealed sounding like a dying pig. I kicked my legs franticly trying to get back on The Wire. Then I heard them.
       l“You got this, girl!” Zoey screamed. “Go Ella!” Vivi chimed in. All around me, my 11 cabin mates urged me on, giving me the strength to keep going. I swung back onto the wall, and made the rest of the journey across. Once I was on solid ground, I felt so accomplished.
       lLooking back, I am in no hurry to do it again, but it seems a little less daunting now. I’m glad I did it. I learned a lot and made great friends because of The Wire. Camp made me a stronger, better person.”

Thanks again for your submission, Ella. We’re so glad to hear how much you loved camp. But you make yourself a better person! Camp only helps. For anyone else interested in Gold Arrow Camp, you can check it out right here. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Football Fans!

We’re chomping at the bit for the arrival of the regular season here at Everything Summer Camp and our excitement is too much that we haven’t been able to sit idly by as we wait. In our anticipation as the summer season comes to a close, I toured the office to see what teams we expect to see play in Suberbowl LI. With our prized team in mind, we all have our fingers crossed that we made the right call.

As Wisconsinites, my findings didn’t surprise me very much. After all, what kind of fan is going to throw their team under the bus? At Everything Summer Camp, our team is Green Bay through and through (except for our Shipping Manager Tim…but don’t mind him—he’s from Minnesota). The Packers are a good-lookin’ team who could definitely take it all the way this year. Lots of folks around the office are predicting to see the New England Patriots play against Green Bay for the championship.

President of the company, Ed gave his two cents, favoring the Packers to win the Superbowl against the Patriots, as did our Operations Manager, Brian; our Graphics Department Manager, Nate; our Assistant Shipping Manager, Mike; as well as our Printing Technician, EJ.

In other offices there was a bit more variety. Our Vice President, Mark says it’s going to be a close Packer win against the Tennessee Titans while Amy, our Graphic Artist, thinks it’s the Texans that will lose to the Packers in the Superbowl. Our Sales Director Matt thinks the Packers are going to match up with the Pittsburgh Steelers and that the Steelers are going to win (apparently the kind of fan who would throw their team under the bus is Matt!).

Tim’s prediction was the only one that didn’t include the Packers. He says we’ll see the Dallas Cowboys match up with the Oakland Raiders with a win for the Cowboys.

But whether you’re a Packer fan or not, football is football and it’s back! So celebrate along with all of us at Everything Summer Camp and join in the fandom that grows more and more every year. Football appeals to a lot of people which is good because the more people you watch it with, the more fun it is! As always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Everything Summer Camp Fans!

Today’s Blog post shines its spotlight on another brand whose excellent products we offer. A couple weeks ago, we took a good, close look at Troxel Performance Headgear for equestrian safety helmets. Today, I’m talking about sleeping bags—Wenzel sleeping bags to be specific. When it comes to Wenzel, there’s no better brand for your comfort on a night under the stars.

The very first summer campers as well as the early pioneers of ‘The New World’ knew Wenzel because Wenzel was around back then to supply all those brave explorers of the 19th century with the reliable gear they required for survival in the unforgiving wilderness. Wenzel has well withstood the test of time and remained a brand name synonymous with high-quality since their very beginnings in 1887.

In order to maintain their name for the past 130 years, Wenzel has had to go through incredible changes to keep up. The world was very different back in 1887. And Wenzel was different too. But with the advent of technological advances, household computers, and—now, the digital age—Wenzel has had to adapt to a society that runs on continual internet connectivity.

But while the company keeps their operation updated for efficiency by today’s standards, Wenzel is delighted to provide their customers with products that remind them about the world of yesterday. Everything Summer Camp knows just as well as Wenzel that being surrounded by the great outdoors is a healthy experience for our bodies and minds and helps develop creative thinking. A connection to Nature on some level is a basic human need.

Wenzel loves nourishing that need.

Escape, connect, and recharge with the help of Wenzel! Check out our selection from Wenzel by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

As you may have gathered from our name, summer camp is kind of our thing! And that’s why we’re proud to boast a great relationship with over 270 summer camps across the country. The camps with whom we’ve developed these close ties show kids the time of their lives and we love to spread the word of how great these camps really are. That’s why we like to shine our camp spotlight all around, featuring these wonderful camps.

Today, we’ll aim our camp spotlight over to eastern Pennsylvania and near the border with New Jersey to Camp Nock-a-Mixon. This traditional, co-ed, overnight summer camp is found in Bucks County where boys and girls have had the time of their lives for nearly 80 years ever since the camp first opened its doors in the summer of 1939.

Fun times never end at Nock-a-Mixon. This camp offers all kinds of traditional sports like Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Gymnastics, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball, Hockey. They have a Climbing Tower, High and Low Ropes Course, Zip Line, Archery, Riflery, Wrestling. Have fun in the water Canoeing, Fishing, Swimming. You can try your skills at Ceramics, Crafts, Glass Fusion, Jewelry Making, Pottery, Cooking, Dance, Music, Photography, Rocketry, Theater, and a plethora of other fun activities!

Camp Nock-a-Mixon provides its campers with modern cabins that offer bathroom and shower stalls for the privacy you need. They have cubby space and shelving for your camper’s excess belongings. Fans and screened windows keep the cabin cool and campers sleep comfortably in their bunks. Cabins house somewhere between 10 and 14 campers along with three to four cabin leaders.

Experience the community at Camp Nock-a-Mixon with campfires, dances, karaoke, leagues, masquerade, movie nights, scavenger hunts, talent shows, and more. This camp community values each person’s individuality and provides an atmosphere where children gain independence and self confidence as they have the experience of a lifetime! Check out Camp Nock-a-Mixon for yourself by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

Former summer campers are so widespread across the country that it comes as no surprise to find out how so many celebrities and other famous folks have a history of summer camp in their childhood. I’ve written about over one hundred celebrities who once attended summer camp and today I come with yet another—the one and only, Seth Green!

Growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Seth didn’t travel far at all to attend summer camp at the Union for Reform Judaism Camp Harlam, situated in the foothills of the great Pocono Mountains in rural Pennsylvania. In fact, his parents worked at a summer camp and he spent time hanging out with the drama club igniting his passion for acting. Back then, Seth ran around like all the other kids, but his childhood would quickly become anything but conventional.

At the very young age of ten years old, Seth had already debuted in his first two movies, ‘Billions for Boris’, as well as ‘The Hotel New Hampshire’. Not very much later, he played the younger brother of the lead role in ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’.

He continued making appearances in films regularly throughout his childhood and adolescence and before long, he’d made a name for himself which led to bigger roles such as Duane Cody in the family comedy ‘Rat Race’ and Chris Griffin in Fox’s long-running animated series, ‘Family Guy’.

His growing popularity and lifelong experience in the business led to him creating his own stop-motion cartoon show on Adult Swim, ‘Robot Chicken’. Aspiring to reach his dreams since he was little, Seth Green kept an incredible momentum from his time at summer camp. What will you keep from your time at camp?

If URJ Camp Harlam sounds like a place that might suit you well, you can check it out with a closer look on their website right here. Enjoy your camp experience and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John