Day 5: Olympic Sing, RED & BL-UNITY forever!

blue2013 Olympiad came to a close with an incredibly spectacular Sing Night and an emotional evening for everyone.

The Field House was transformed into a BLUE CLONING factory with impressive special and entertaining special effects AND A FRENDLY AND FUN ZOMBIE GRAVEYARD. Skit Entrances, Songs, Comic songs and plaques were  presented.

zombiesAfter an entertaining and electric evening the Blue Clones won Sing and the RED Zombies won Olympics by just 94 points (out of over 5000)!

Camp came together as the Dorm Girls sang their Alma Mater one last time and then the Club Boys joined them to lead the entire camp with Friends, Alma Mater and Taps.

A great week of sportsmanship, incredible positive attitude, healthy competition, fun and life-long bonding memories.  Olympics at Camp Towanda ties together everything we have worked towards this summer.  We all feel great!

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Here are the official songsheets from the Red & Blue teams and the Judgies. Sing along and enjoy!

 

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Olympics Day 3 & 4: On Fire!

lineupFrom Rope Burning to Fire Brigade, day 3 and 4 turned up the heat!!!  Here are some highlights from the Judgies in black.

judgiesOn Day 3, the Boys had their showdown on the track at record speeds, culminating in a classic Judgies vs. Generals race for the record-books. Two heats of Judgies from four different eras competed against the Zombie and Clone Generals.  Casper joined in the race, helping the Judgies win by a “nose” as the Blue General, Diego “Day La Fuente” took one for the team at the finish line!  It was the perfect way to end our morning at the track.

kickboardThe Girls headed to the waterfront in the afternoon to swim like fishies at the Swim Meet.  Excellent efforts, cheering and spirit.  After the one lap kickboard race, one camper said “THAT WAS SO FUN…I didn’t know I was so good at kickboarding!”

From the Judgies point of view, the campers have really tried SO hard.  They left nothing on the field.  They pushed themselves to do their absolute best.  They participated in EVERYTHING…even if it was a little outside their comfort zone.  It’s all for the team.

bluecircleBy Day 3 dinner time, you could feel the electricity in the air.  A shift in energy.  The camp was getting pumped up.  The song “LIGHT EM UP” by Fall Out Boy played over the loud speakers as the teams entered line up.  At dinner, the Red and Blue teams took turns, pumping up their team for ROPE BURNING! Everyone participated in Rope Burning, even if they are on the sidelines.  The cheering section brandonis equally important to those who are geared up to help “build that fire, higher higher”.  When the Judgies arrived at Skyview Field, you could hear a pin drop.  The Blue and Red Ropeburning teams sat in the ceremonial circle in absolute silence.  Their Generals and Ropeburning coaches gave inspirational pep talks, helping them understand they will remember tonight for the rest of their lives.  For the Alumni Judgies, this blueropetradition evokes incredible memories and nostalgia.

It is so hard to explain how Rope Burning is the best night of camp…but it is true.  It holds special significance for the Club boys building the fire, but the whole camp really comes together.  It is epic.

winThe rope burning teams were incredibly focused and determined, from the wood gatherers to the runners to the sorters to the stackers to the feeders to the firebuilders.  When Blue lit their fire first and burned the first rope, it looked like a sure thing.  But their fire started to shift away from the top rope, and Red came back to burn their second rope in under 13 minutes.  Blue burned their top rope just a minute later.

marblesAfter it was done and the fires extinguished, the emotions were indescribable.  Dorm and Club uniting under the firey sky.  All ages, boys and girls, congratulating, crying, hugging (lots of hugging), smiling, all exhausted and energized at the same time.  This is when camp comes together.  Camp brothers and sisters leaning on each other.

There was no slowing down on Day 4 of Olympics.  A morning of activities, some beef-a-roni for lunch (to which the whole mess hall was cheering “Beef-a-Roni”!!!), and then the Great Apache Relay (did you follow the live social media feed from the race course?).

apacheoffThe Apache consists of over 200 events that end in the Fire Brigade at the waterfront.  Events include athletic challenges, crazy tasks and silly fun.  You could have a Deb in a potato sack hopping across girls camp against an Upper Camp boy! Anything goes in Apache.  And the lead often changes MANY times.

We encountered a 10 minute rain shower…okay, downpour, but that did NOT slow down the relay.  The baton changed hands over 200 times.  There was a lot of running.  Kyle Manes and Jonathan Penner, two incredible staff, ran alongside the campers during the entire race which finished in under 2 hours.  Other Judgies followed on a golf cart, Generals on bicycles, campers and fans on foot.  It was incredibly organized and smooth! Everyone contributed to the outcome.  In the end, Red filled their water jug first in Fire Brigade and they were declared the winner by a small margin.

Last night was silent BBQ (yes, this is a judged event) and knockout.  We cannot believe Olympics is coming to a close tonight and look forward to the much-anticipated Olympic Sing and skits.

Good luck Red Team. Good luck Blue Team.

A big thank you to all the Alumni and Guest Judgies who helped make this Olympics such a success.

runsweeprunlake sackRAIN Apache push!swampcanoefirebrigadewinner

 

Olympics Day 2: Pull that rope!

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And we’re off!!

Olympics 2013 is off to an incredible start.  Intense spirit, effort and pride everywhere.  From the creative athletic apparel (did you know you can play soccer in a tutu?) to the chants and cheers, Olympics is very much HERE!

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For those of you who may have tuned into the Camp Cam for your daily weather check, we had a nice weather day (with a few spots of rain).  All sports were played.  In the morning we had Girls’ Track Meet.  From the marathon to the potato shuffle to the 4 1/2 relay, those girls ran their hearts out (with the Generals, CCs, Lieutenants and Sergeants running along side them for EVERY RACE).  While they ran the track, the boys competed in basketball, soccer, team handball, softball, football and GHOST. The Grand Master reported some games were down 2-0 in best of 5 to come back to win!!

DSC_0065During rest hour, tennis, soccer, co-ed CIT Ghost were played, while the Senior/Club/LIT boys collected wood for tonight’s rope burning (the Club boys have been practicing with their coaches–it should be an incredible event tonight…you’ll have to check it out on the Skyview Camp Cam!).

IMG_0198In the afternoon, the boys headed to the waterfront for their swim meet.  The water was a little cool, but that just made the boys swim faster.  Kick-board and kayak races, freestyle relays and the All-Star Race.  Everyone competed, tried their very best and congratulated their friends in the next lane.  The Girls rocked the fields in kickball, basketball, newcombe, Ghost (of course), soccer, gaga and softball.

IMG_9610As our last Friday evening at camp, we continued the tradition where the Dorm and Deb girls light the candles and welcome us to our Shabbat dinner.  To see our 8 year old Debs with our 15 year old Dorm girls…it just reminds us how far these girls and all our campers have come.  We had an abridged service, the Red Zombies and Blue Clones did some entertaining skits and everyone got ready to PULL THAT ROPE!

IMG_9706Tug of War was under an incredible sky on Skyview, under the lights.  Everyone gave it their all, cheered with pride and celebrated with some milk and cookies!

After Tug of War last night, the National boys basketball game went into OT!!!  Fast-paced, evenly matched, well-fought.  The coaches were really proud of their boys!!!  A great end to Day 2!

Excitement, tradition and warmth are everywhere here at Camp Towanda with over 50 Guest Alumni Judgies swarming and feeling nostalgic!  It’s amazing that no matter how long it’s been since they were a camper or counselor, just being here makes them feeling like it was just yesterday!!! Having them here helps make Olympics that much better!

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At the end of the 2nd day, the BLUE CLONES are ahead of the RED ZOMBIES by just 13 points and consider that 2200 points have been awarded this far.

TONIGHT is the great ROPE BURNING event, considered to be the best night of camp!  Stay tuned….

Events are underway today…Boys Track Meet, Girls Swim Meet and lots of activities on the fields and courts.

Good luck Red Team. Good luck Blue Team.

 

Olympics Day 1: Rain or Shine…Game on!

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A little rain doesn’t stop Olympics!!!

Despite the gray skies, mist, rain and damp chill; NOTHING stopped ALL the CAMPERS and STAFF from wanting to get out on the fields to play!

rainIn between heavy downpours, we got in most of the scheduled competition between The RED ZOMBIES and BLUE CLONES.

From my vantage point as the Grand Master of Ghost, I witnessed the best match ever of Debs & Dills, playting with their heart and soul in the mud and drizzle…to a tie-breaker; the same was true for the Tweens and the Middie Boys.  An intense coed LIT best of 5 went the distance through rain and mud as well.

girlsThe thrills, the cheering and the concentration was wonderful!  From the coaches to generals to the amazing judgies (consisting of over 65 visiting alumni)!

The reports are that all activities were the same intensity and spirit; From volleyball, soccer and indoor basketball to Gaga and softball!

ghostIt is so evident that all that our camp is about comes to fruition in these latter days of the summer; the camaraderie, the respect, the reaching for one’s personal best, the becoming comfortable outside of one’s comfort zone and the genuine pride, sportsmanship and deep friendships are making this OLYMPICS indicative of why we are all here.

soccergirlsIt is a proud feeling that I see and sense on everyone; including the alums that have just showed up; they see it, too!

At the end of Day ONE, there is just a 2 ½ point difference between the teams…how about that?

ghost2Songs of the day played here: TIME OF THE SEASON by the Zombies and and WE ARE ALL CLONES by Alice Cooper.

Today will be beautiful! Cool in the low 70s… a great day for the track and swim meets and tug of war!! PULL, THAT, ROPE!!!!

Good luck Red Team. Good luck Blue Team.

THIS IS IT- Olympics 2013!!!!!

 

mitch and steph                   bob and amy                     michael and lisa

It started on Visiting Day, the clone pictures were popping up around camp; really scaring us all a bit…or fooling us……. One night I had the Bob & Amy pix in the mansion living room…and I jumped!

They were on the porch, at the board, at line-up, on the golf cart, at tennis, on the courtyard, in the alley, on OD patrol at night and yes looking at the camp cam and at the amphitheater…. Each day, moving around… we were all having fun with it and the talk was that it was spooky fun!

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That’s it, just a fun camp thing…not one mention of a possible theme for Olympics.

Fast forward to today; another top 10 beautiful day…activities, inter camp games and the intense scrutinizing anticipation and bewilderment of when, how and will Breakout happen… at breakfast, lunch or dinner…but how?  We are going to the County Fair Friday????

airbandsEvening activity was AIRBANDS; a very entertaining lip sync/MTV type of night…. Different groups performing and cracking up the crowd at the same time…..everyone gathered in the amphitheater as a beautiful sunset transformed the sky.  Although the crowd, from the youngest Deb and Jets the “on the edge” to Club/Dorm watched and participated……all eyes were on “anything”!

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The last act to perform was a group called “The Clones”, consisting of HC’s Bob, Amy, Michael and Lisa, along with Mitch and Stephanie…we got on stage, dressed in the exact same outfits as our clone pictures, who were already on stage…….

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The spotlights burned through the air, and then the music from Michael Jackson’s Thriller began… The HCs started to do their best Michael Jackson Thriller dance as I pounded on the stage floor.

A trap door slid away and 2 aluminum hoses flopped onto the floor facing the audience…. Thick, heavy, low lying mist crept along the floor towards the crowd, down the steps of the stage, engulfing the stage floor and down onto the lawn towards the kids…. the mist grew more eerie, thicker and engulfing the entire amphitheater……. As the smoke, fog and mist were cut by the beams of the spotlights.

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The Thriller music stopped…and then Pink Floyd’s IS ANYBODY OUT THERE started.

On stage thru the mist appeared SIX zombies creeping thru the fog towards the audience AND 6 CLONES (in full body blue hazmat suits wearing a HUGE mask face that matched our clone cutouts)…..As they they stood facing the crowd in the mist, the banners unfurled; the air horns blasted, the music grew louder and then…

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The head judge announced : THIS IS IT, Towanda..OLYMPICS 2013!!

Pandemonium, thrills, screams, hugs, tears, huddles, as the generals, camper captains, lieutenants, and sergeants were read!  Everyone was happy for them…..

The cloud and mist continued as the team splits were read and everyone joined their team.

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After brief team meetings, both teams line dup on the grassy knoll  as we lit the Olympic rings to the Olympic fanfare.  Olympic taps..all to bed.

To say the least, it was great. Putting it together is like organizing, preparing and getting ready for a big show while the sell out crowd is already in the audience!  it was fun and everyone felt a part of it.  Lots of grins and great feelings.

Good luck to the RED ZOMBIES and BLUE CLONES!

Let the games begin.  I will be at Ghost!