Letters From Camp – Fall 2024

Letter from the Editor

The date was August 8, 2008. I was executive director of a small youth camp up North, where we typically filled much of the evening with all-camp activities. Somehow, that night, we were running ahead of schedule. (That was a very rare occurrence!) The program director and I huddled together to plan how to fill this unexpected, extra time when inspiration struck: We decided that since it was 8/8/08, we could use that for something “special”. We spent a few minutes rapid-fire brainstorming and then kicked into action.

Our dining hall had a large deck that overlooked a big open space. We had to act fast if we were to pull this together, so we quickly gathered all the campers and staff into the clearing. It was nearly 8 p.m., and we HAD to celebrate this momentous occasion!

We hurriedly got everyone into formation. With the program director shouting instructions while standing on the deck above everyone: “We need to hurry! It’s almost time!” The kids were still a little uncertain of what exactly was happening, but the excitement was building.

Within minutes, we managed to get everyone into position to form a giant 8.

“Ok everyone, it is nearly 8:08 p.m. We will let you know when it’s time to count down from 8. And once it is 8:08 on 8/8/08, we will go wild for an entire minute. So get ready!”

At 8:07 and 52 seconds, the whole group started counting backwards: “8… 7… 6… 5… 4... 3… 2… 1!”

A roar of excitement erupted, rivaling anything you’ve heard in a stadium. Kids were bouncing, yelling, dancing, high fiving, waving their arms. A minute is a LONG time to be that exuberant, but we held onto the energy. And then it was over. Groups were dismissed to brush their teeth and change into pajamas.

I couldn’t help but laugh to myself as I went to bed that night. It was such a random, quickly executed plan, all to fill a moment.

During the closing program at the end of the session, I always asked kids to raise their hands and share their favorite thing from the week. When the first camper said, “the 8/8/08 celebration” my face broke into a huge grin, what a funny thing to leave a lasting memory!

When the next camper said 8/8/08 — and the next camper — and several more after that, I was shocked. A little boy stood up and said, “It was a once-in-a-lifetime event! It will never again be 8/8/08 and I’m glad we were all together!”  

In this issue, we have several stories about impact, as YMCA camps are known for the indelible marks that start with a simple occurrence and evolve into core memories. Many of our stories in this issue are about a powerful camp experience working long-term magic in someone’s life. We have stories of how campers, staff, and volunteers have transformed the camps they love. And we have stories of how people brought together through camp have forever changed one another for the better.

In the moment, we don’t know which experiences will stick with us for a lifetime. However, I think we can all agree, that camp tends to be the one space where everlasting impressions and impact that changes us to our core are a given. I think everyone can agree: camp is a remarkable gift of lasting impact.

I am grateful beyond words to all of the people who shared their stories with me for this issue. The privilege of telling your stories is the best part of my job. If you are reading this and have a camp story you want to share, please reach out! I would love to hear from you.

Natalie King
Editor