"Fun is just the start" at Swift Youth Foundation and second session of Camp Swift is off to a great start! The Support Staff, or our adult volunteers, began arriving at camp Monday afternoon to get camp ready for our awesome campers! They spent the day building relationships, preparing food and learning how to make sure that each program at Camp Swift is meaningful, memorable, and fun! Support staff also got a great night’s rest in preparation for the counselors! During orientation, the counselors had the opportunity to bond with their unit. Each unit played different icebreaker games to practice using when the campers arrived. The units also participated in mindful listening exercises where they focused on not just “hearing” one another, but intentionally listening to each other. Mindfulness is a meaningful life skill that both counselors and campers will utilize this session and beyond. Each year Swift Youth Foundation works to maximize the amount of campers that get to come up to camp. This session, Camp Swift welcomed over 150 campers. The bus arrived with campers right around noon today. Campers were instantly greeted with cheers and excited rushed over to the amphitheater where they were treated to a unique welcome skit that featured four of our amazing adult volunteers and Dr. Sam! The welcome skit not only did a great job discussing the keys to being a great camper but also introduced our camp theme, superheroes! The campers were eager to talk about what their own superpower is, since we’re all our own type of hero. Every camper ate lunch with their new friends from their cabin and eagerly began discussing what they were excited to do at camp. For lunch the campers filled up on homemade pasta with meat sauce, a delicious and fresh salad bar, and of course the abundant fruit bowl! Activities began right after lunch, as campers toured the camp, decorated their cabin, practiced perceived competence by together creating cabin rules, and got to visit the Krazy Keppies store! Often, many campers forget necessities such as towels, sleeping bags, jackets, and closed toe shoes. Krazy Keppies is our way of ensuring that campers are able to receive these basic necessities. Goods are donated by community members throughout the year and campers have the ability to visit this FREE store throughout camp to pick up anything they may need. After their visits to Krazy Keppies, cabins began programs at the ropes course, gaga pit, swimming pool, and art where campers made their own superhero capes to begin their hero journey at camp. Before dinner, campers cheered their favorite camp songs and learned new ones too. Youngest and middle unit enjoyed a burger bar in the lodge for dinner while oldest unit set-off for the overnight where they enjoyed hot dogs and s’mores by the campfire.The oldest unit ended their evening with a beautiful walk under the stars. Youngest unit ended the night with the Infinity Stones evening program and middle unit had to practice their perceived competence by solving riddles to help Batman save their desert during the Riddler program! Camp Swift’s staff goal for 2nd session is making ordinary moments extraordinary (MOME). Check back each evening during Camp Swift for just how we make each ordinary day at camp, EXTRA-ordinary! Traveling all the way from Nevada to be a part of the magic of Camp Swift, our guest blogger is a long-time Swift supporter and volunteer who L.O.V.E.S. grilled cheese! Thank you to Grant Frailich for writing this creative look into the first day of Camp Swift. |
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September 2024
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Swift Youth FoundationIgnites Dreams.
Inspires Learning. Instills Hope. |
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