Dear Kamaji Alum,
I don’t know about you, but one of the things that has struck me this particular holiday season, somehow more than before, is while things continue to be not totally normal, I find myself more and more grateful and appreciative for the little things that do feel normal, safe and comfortable.
That was never truer than at camp this past summer. Yes, there was covid testing, and masking and we did some programmatic finagling here and there to make sure that we were taking the best care of our campers and staff as we can, BUT, there was so much “normal”, too.
There were cheers for kids getting up on skis for the first time…I saw “the pig” being painted…I heard trip songs being sung around the campfire…I watched a counselor carrying a camper on her back…I felt the silly splashing of campers goofing around in Wolf Lake… I heard laughter drifting through the trees as water bottles were filled and singing in the showers as the Nutshell campers had a shower party. But honestly, one of the best things was experiencing the friendships.
New friendships, reunited friends, Tribe Leaders befriending Hatchery campers, friends hugging each other, friends who experienced a misunderstanding and then forgave one another, friends who got up in the middle of the night to walk to the washhouse together…friends who will go on to attend a Bar Mitzvah for the first time, visit their friends who live in the city, visit their friend who lives in another state, Video Call their friend who lives internationally… this is what “normal” is at Kamaji.
This experience echoes the same experience we had as campers. This is the type of experience, the type of friendships that all children should have, and this is your opportunity to help make it possible for more children to experience.
I’m writing today to ask you, once again, to consider contributing to Camp for All Kids. As you know, this foundation began at Kamaji in the early 1990’s. Diversity at Kamaji has become one of our core beliefs and philosophies, it is one of the reasons Kamaji is so impactful on our campers today. This is our chance to invite camp into the lives of Black and Brown children from under-resourced communities while also demonstrating Kamaji’s values of inclusion and community. The truly powerful part of this scholarship is how it benefits each recipient and equally, benefits our whole camp community and not just for one summer, but for as many summers as the camper wants to return. We stand proudly in our tribe color, but don’t we shine brightest when representing the whole rainbow?
Donate today to continue this tradition of diversity, friendship, community, and normalcy. We all need a place to belong. Thank you!
Happiest Holidays to you,
Kat and Jason
Click Here to Donate to Camp for All Kids
