A Day in the Life of Camp Loyaltown Campers
Since Camp Loyaltown Session 1 began on June 16, the picturesque campgrounds in Hunter, New York have been filled with campers ready to create their own camp adventure! Every day is exciting, with a seemingly endless number of choices on how to spend the day.
Each activity area is fully staffed and open all day and every day. Campers and counselors have the freedom to choose activity stations and how long they’d like to spend there.
The day begins with a hearty breakfast, energizing campers and counselors for their adventures. After breakfast, campers and counselors explore the campgrounds, heading to their favorite activities, including arts and crafts, animal care, swimming, sports, music, and the sensory room, filled with comfortable mats, sensory toys and games. Some campers also enjoy going on the swings, playing mini golf, relaxing on one of the many Adirondack chairs throughout the camp property, or decorating the sidewalk with chalk.
On the last Friday of Session 2, the arts & craft station focused on decorating tote bags to be filled with all the crafts made throughout the camp session.
What will be done with the bag after camp is up is the camper’s choice. Camper Erika Maynard said she was planning on giving her bag as a gift back at home. If campers didn’t feel like decorating the tote bag, they had the option to do something else at the craft table, such as coloring a color sheet.
With the day being overcast and humid, there weren’t many people in the pool. But there were still a few campers, including Angela Bonasia and Lauren Bernstein, who were peacefully swimming or cooling off on the shallow end.
Over at the nature center, campers were drawing and coloring as the nearby animals, including goats, calves, rabbits and chickens, were being tended to. Campers Libet Calderon and Barbara Doerler proudly showed off pictures they colored with their names.
Many of the campers could be found in the sensory room on Friday afternoon, staying cool in the air conditioner and playing with sensory toys, napping on the mats, or playing games. Campers Emily Brown and Andrea Matteo were enjoying a game of Chutes and Ladders alongside counselors.
After a day full of activities and a delicious dinner, it was time for the evening activity. On Friday evening, the activity was a talent show where each cabin put on a performance. They all practiced together. While on stage, each cabin received a certificate celebrating a great session!
Each performance featured a sing along and dance to a song of choice. During the performance of “Footloose,” Camper Tamara Thompson took center stage, as her liveliness and dance moves got the whole audience dancing, smiling and singing along. Camper Patrick Archibald showed off his singing skills as he starred in the performance of “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” from The Lion King.
After the exciting evening, campers headed to bed, but many of the counselors stayed up for a staff appreciation dinner and award ceremony. Chef Dean prepared an international Indian dinner, with classics such as chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo and naan bread.
After the staff enjoyed the delicious food, unit heads Wilmar Suescun, Anouk Henneke, Thandi Jama, Cesar Mendoza Diazleal, and Dirang Mataboge took turns giving out 16 trophies to all the counselors who shined that week. The evening was a great way to celebrate the ending of a successful Session 2, while honoring all the hard work of the counselors who support campers in making the most of their summer days at camp.
Also honored that evening was Chef Dean Vasquez. With decades of experience in the restaurant industry, he has been serving up delicious meals at Camp Loyaltown for two summers. Working with kitchen staff, Chef Dean balances providing campers and staff with breakfast, lunch, dinners and snacks, while also ensuring meals are nutritious, well-rounded and free from preservatives and by-products found in pre-packaged foods. Dietary needs, such as gluten or dairy-free diets or texture-modified needs, are also met by the kitchen staff. His international dinners also help to enrich the experience of camp counselors and staff, as he cooks meals celebrating the cuisine of countries the staff have traveled from.
With it being past 10 p.m., the counselors headed off into the night singing, chatting and getting ready for bed. Saturday, the last full day of Session 2, would be a day of packing and getting ready to say goodbye for the summer. As a last hoorah, campers dressed up for prom, where they got to dance all night long.