Friday at Camp Heart Connection

Today was the last full day for our oncology campers at Camp Heart Connection and the day was jam-packed with things to do! Of course, all of the normal activities were open to the campers, but we had a few special activities planned as well.

Campers got the opportunity to tie-dye an article of clothing and there was a campers vs. counselors version of "hide and go seek" - where the counselors hid and when the campers found the counselors the campers could push whoever they found into the pool!

The pool was busy place (again!) this afternoon. Many campers took part in the water fight on the field and came to jump in the pool after they were done splashing each other. After the campers were done swimming, they headed to dinner. We had a delicious fiesta for dinner, which included: tacos, burritos, nachos and apple enchaldas a la mode!

After dinner the annual kickball tournament will be held at the large field near the pool. Following the tournament the campers will go back up to their cabins where camper achievement awards will be given out!

After dark the campers will all gather around the campfire for Wish Night. Wish Night gives the campers and staff a time to tell their story, to thank someone who has made an impact on their life and it provides a time to come together and relate to one another. After everyone has had a chance to speak, the campers will head out to the field and lighted balloons will be released in memory of the campers who have passed away in the last year. The night will end with fireworks in celebration of a great week.

We'll see you tomorrow morning - bright and early!

Here are a few photos from the day:

Thursday at Camp Heart Connection

Breakfast today was delicious, again, and we had huge cinnamon rolls and cheese omelets. The kitchen crew has done an awesome job of keeping all of the campers and staff well-fed this week.

There was a hike at 11:00 a.m. A few campers and counselors met at the stage and headed into the woods for a hike around camp. A few hours later there was creek stomping and the boys headed to "Mortimer's Boys Only NASCAR Party" where they made "slime" and had a few afternoon snacks. A lot of TP'ing happened this afternoon with the help of the Programs Staff.

Throughout the day the photography crew from Capturing Hope was at Camp and they took photos of all of the campers. They were great to work with and we can't wait for the parents to see the photos!

Eight teams played in the annual basketball tournament. While it was a hot day for the tournament, all of the players had a good time and the top teams even got medals! (Rumor has it that the boys from Riverside cabin won the tournament.)

After the tournament almost everyone swam in the pool. The sun was shining and it was hot - perfect pool weather! The little ones jumped in and out of the pool, there were numerous water fights and the older campers enjoyed going down the water slide.

After dinner the campers got ready for the "All Camp Dance." The ladies had their hair and make-up done, and the guys put on their best t-shirts for the event. The All Camp Dance is a place for all of the campers to come together and bust a move. Thanks to "Cubbie Bear" from Select Entertainment for DJ'ing the dance. He sure played the right tunes to get everyone on the dance floor! Everyone is going to be tired by the end of this night as today was busy, busy, busy.

Here are a few photos to take a look at:

Wednesday at Camp Heart Connection

We finally had nice weather today at Camp! The skies were blue and the sun was shining.

The day kicked off with a great breakfast - french toast and sausage - and then all of the campers headed down to the field for a surprise. What was the surprise? The Boone Scenic Valley Railroad's train picked us all up at Camp and we got to ride the train! For a lot of the campers it was their first time on a train. The views were grand and tons of photos were taken. We even got to take our cabin photos next to the train! (Take a look at them below.)

After the train ride, it was back to Camp for lunch. During the afternoon all of the regular activities opened for the campers. The teens climbed the rock wall, the little boys rode the horses and all of little girls headed to "Aunt FiFi's Princess Party!" Before the party started the girls stopped by "Aunt FiFi's Dress Shop" and picked our their attire for the Princess Party. The older boys escorted the lovely ladies down to the party where they had snacks and put together a special princess-themed craft.

The afternoon was filled with arts and crafts, swimming at the pool (since the weather was perfect) and even creek stomping for those who wanted to get a little muddy in the creek! 

This evening we'll hold "Camps Got Talent," the all-Camp talent show. Many of the cabins have been practicing their skits, brushing up on singing, and learning dance moves for this evening. After the talent show, the campers and counselors will head out to the woods for a campfire where they'll hear from Aunt FiFi. Aunt FiFi is the magical being that looks over Camp. She, along with her magical pet alligator Mortimer, make sure that all the cabins are clean, all the campers are getting along, and she even leaves special presents and notes around Camp for those who are good!

We had another eventful, jam-packed day! Here are a few photos from the day: (Click on the photos to view them in a larger format.)