olympics 2014 Archives - Camp Towanda

Posted on August 9, 2014 by camptowanda

Day 2 Olympics- Mitch’s Report

A great day of activities on Day 2 of Olympics. Debs playing newcomb in Tutus (from yesterday’s basketball in Tutus), lots of team spirit, incredibly intense matches on the Football field, soccer field and ghost court. Games going into overtime. Everyone giving it their all. Showing incredible spirit and teamwork. Our Girls Track meet was in the morning and Boys Swim meet in the afternoon. Relay races showing the best of Towanda. Teamwork, supporting each other and win or lose, having each other’s backs.

One Jet was overheard in the “pit” awaiting his race say “This is a really big deal. It’s my first swim meet”. For so many of these campers, this week is a lot of firsts. Being a part of something big and important, that carries over 90 years of Towanda traditions. Running their first ever track meet with half of camp cheering them on. Feeling they can’t swim freestyle for one seemingly long lap, to knowing they can. It’s awesome to see these young kids jump right in and know what they do today makes a difference and having so so so much fun!

More Alumni Judgies are rolling in upon the shores of our camp. Sharing Olympic history with our campers and creating their own new Olympic memories here this summer as they watch Red Lifeguards and Blue Ski Patrol in action. Seeing how many generations we have here represented is just awesome. And the kids love having them here to share in these traditions that have gone on for decades.

Last night we had our traditional Shabbos dinner, our last one this summer, with the Dorm and Debs doing candlelighting and ushering us in. It is always so amazing to see these two groups at the end of the summer. The Dorm 2014 has served as role models for Girls Camp and now we see the Dorm 2021, 2022 and even 2023 see their future and what they will become. It’s something to aspire to, look forward to, and dream of for the next 7+ years.

Dinner was silent, until Red and Blue did some fun cheers to get their teams pumped for LONG JUMP! We divided the teams at 3 locations last night for efficient long jumping. The kids swung their arms, flew in the air, landed (hopefully without falling- or at least falling forward), and worked as a team to go the farthest!

After milk and cookies and bed, some groups still had late night games to be played. Inter Girls under the lights soccer and National Boys basketball on main field to name a couple.

Wood collection continued for tonite’s Rope Burning and we prepare for another day of events.

As we enter Day 3 of the 5 days of Olympics, the score is: RED LIFEGUARDS: 1203 and BLUE SKI PATROL: 1321…still, very close and exciting!

Posted on August 8, 2014 by camptowanda

End of Day 1 Olympics- Mitch’s Report

Attention RED fans, Attention BLUE fans,

Okay Olympics Day 1 is done. Judgies and Generals are still meeting as I write and the sing scenery and plaque crews are still working late.

The WOW factor of breakout was the talk of the morning; everyone just realizing how cool (or should I say “cold”) it was…how incredible, how exciting, how suprising and how much a part of it they were.

And then the day really got started…

As we left breakfast, the maintenance crew was on the main basketball court, shoveling, blowing and sweeping the 3 inches of snow (looked even more incredible in the morning light) onto our mini golfcart dump trucks and then dumping it all into one big pile. It took several hours to clean, then power wash and scrub the court clean for the first game of the afternoon. The snow pile actually now sits at the far side of the court, off in the grass. We are not certain how long it will last!

Once the adrenaline of Breakout filters through every bone in one’s body, it helps transform that excitement into a spirited commitment; virtually taking all the ingredients and experiences of the summer to produce the ultimate in sportsmanship, friendship and positive energy. This is what I saw today…an incredible air of passionate happiness and joy……exactly what we all have been striving for since everyone arrived way back in June. Camp Towanda, at it’s finest!

Unfortunately I am unable to capture all of the activities and events of the day as I was at GHOST reffing some incredible matches. The thing about GHOST is it really defines what Towanda is all about. Simply; it is fun to play, it doesn’t matter what your level of skill or ability is; as everyone is important to the game (even spectators) and you are never out….. there is a lot more to it (123 rules in fact)—but it is the most INTENSE and loved sport at camp.

Speaking of intense, we had an enjoyable traditional silent Olympic dinner (the entire mess hall silent), which concludes with entertaining cheers.

Then evening event was tug of war; which was also very exciting; follwed by some late night soccer and basketball games.

So, at the end of day 1; with still 50 points still to be tabulated, the score is an incredibly close RED LIFEGUARDS 309 and the BLUE SKI PATROL, 300!!! How about that!

Day 2 is on the horizon. More reporting from the field…

Good luck Red Team. Good luck Blue Team.

Posted on August 7, 2014 by camptowanda

THIS IS IT! Olympics 2014 BREAKOUT!

Sound the air horn. THIS IS IT! Olympics 2014 has officially begun! But let’s rewind to hear how it all went down.

Yesterday we had another attempt at an all-camp canteen after lunch; this time it actually happened; which was followed by an unprecedented AIRBANDS in the middle of the day ON the main basketball court (just like the old days). Airbands is our very creative choreographed lip sync contest. Many presentations that were fantastic but The National boys won with their FAMILY GUY MEDLEY. The day continued but one just didn’t know which direction to look.. an air horn blasting there… my shirt changing colors at a faster rate (like every 5 minutes for a few hours) then we said it was early showers (but why?). The boys lined up at flagpole 15 minutes early (lying down on the grassy knoll by the time the girls arrived)…..then a very short free play, what was happening????

Kids were guessing, oh it’s a rock and roll team or it is going to be something retro or nostalgic or it is lasers against strobes and on and on and on.

But it was just another night of evening activity…an exciting, super-charged, high-energy 1st ever night of MARS VS VENUS (or better explained as boys camp vs girls camp) challenge night of balloon tosses, pie throwing, sponge toss, and so on…mixed in with a couple of dance parties. We had the amphitheater rockin once again! The “friendsy’ was again at an energized height…so much so, that I think no one was thinking about Olympics anymore for those moments.

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BUT THEN, in the middle of the energy of MARS VS VENUS a snowmobile appeared seemingly out of nowehere and raced across the lawn between the amphitheter steps and the stage…. Air horns blared, Pink Floyd’s “Is anybody out there” echoed not only in the amphitheter but throughout the camp PA system…..

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The crowd chased after the snowmobile which led the entire camp racing toward the main basketball court… While racing, you could see smoke billowing in the air which seemed like it was coming from the area of the main basketball court…as you got closer, “is anybody out there” was now blasting as loud as you can imagine from the mansion roof…but wait……

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THERE WAS A SNOWSTORM HAPPENING ON THE MAIN BASKETBALL COURT and surrounding area….REALLY…over 3 inches of snow blanketed this huge area….. and then about a dozen more snowmobiles came racing down the hill from boys camp and pulled up to the outskirts of the basketball court….flanked by 15 lifeguards!

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Our attention then focused on the center court …snow everywhere…… the banners unfurled…we were witnessing the RED LIFE GUARDS VS THE BLUE SKI PATROL!

People were on snowmobiles, carrying skiis, boots and poles….lifeguards were carrying flippers, goggles and life-saving buoys….. it seemeed as if the snow was real, the snow guns blanketing camp…

And then,THE HEAD JUDGE (Bobby), perched on his stand, blasted the air horn and declared the start of OLYMPICS 2014!

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The crowd was crazy…… the lifeguards started shoveling a path on the slippery court….black non skid mats were placed for the soon to be announced Generals, Camper Captains (cc’s), Lieutenants and Sergeants to come running down…slipping and sliding together to lead their teams….

After the teams were split, they had a meeting and then we all gathered on the grassy knoll to light the Olympic rings in flame…..

My friends, Olympics has started, it was crazy, it was intense, it was a SNOWSTORM…..

Kids of every age came up to me and were high fiving me or tossing snow and saying ‘That was THE BEST ever”…it certainly ranks up there as A W E S O M E, surreal and oh my WOW!!!

It was fun to plan, fun to put together and fun to watch happen….everyone is pumped!!! Let the games begin (if you need me I will be on the Ghost court for the next 5 days reffing 87 games, and lovin every bit of it)!!!