The Sari Diaries- Tuesday 7/14/15

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

United Nations Day 2015 was out of this world and I am so excited to write this blog in an effort to fill you in on the amazingness that occurred. Ireland, Italy, Israel and Lithuania competed throughout the day and displayed incredible amounts of spirit, sportsmanship and talent. Here are the highlights of this fantastic day…

1. I first want to give credit where credit is so clearly due. Claire Schwartz and Dori Greenberg organized, planned and implemented the best day of the summer to date. While 298 Chippies enjoyed a care-free and wonderful day, the two of them put an enormous amount of thought and time into making this happen. I cannot thank them enough for their dedication to creating a seamless and unforgettable program for the entire camp!

2. Throughout the day, I had the opportunity to referee a couple of events. First was Colt Village Leg Wrestling which is always so cute. To see our youngest campers learning this unique sport and then competing is adorable, and fun to be a part of. The best though was that I was able to witness remarkable kindness from our campers. Unprompted, these seven through eleven year-olds were giving each other high fives after each and every win or loss. The competitive vibe was still in the air, but these Chippies were truly able to find the appropriate balance…I was so impressed!

3. This afternoon at flag football in the South Field, the championship game between Ireland and Italy is one of the best games I can remember at Chippewa. There was a ton of skill displayed which I always appreciate, but maybe better than that was the intensity and desire to win. Again, this was not at the expense of good sportsmanship, but there was genuine effort put into every play. I loved to see the teams huddle before a play and then to watch their strategy put into action. Chloe S had an amazing interception during the game and Melissa T was awesome. Although Ireland won, both teams were outstanding and I was so happy to be a part of the event (even if it was as an impartial ref on the sidelines).

4. I absolutely love that on UN Day each year, the staff have a chance to feel what it is like to participate in activities, compete with each other and dive right into the action. For me, having this opportunity brings me back to my camper years and I just can’t get enough. From Staff Leg Wrestling (in which I got out in the first round) to Tug of War, and then from staff running relays to swim relays, there is an insane amount of delight all around. To end the day, after our BBQ dinner but before the winners are announced, we have a staff beach volleyball game. While the staff are loving every second of their involvement, the campers are equally engaged. They cheer-on their counselors who are also their teammates- it is a extraordinary scene.

5. One final moment to share was at the annual UN Day BBQ tonight. I brought my plate to the Lakeview table and took a seat with some of the girls who made today as special as it was. Some of them were captains of teams and others weren’t, but all of them had helped to create the enthusiasm that was palpable here throughout the day. About five minutes into the meal, I looked down and saw the Israel and Ireland Lakeview captains sitting and eating with their Colt Village counterparts. It was so sweet and was a perfect example of what today is meant to be…a time to bring the camp together, for leadership to be exemplified and genuine care to be shown towards others.

I could honestly go on and on and on about the successes of today. It will without a doubt go down in the books as one of the best UN Days to ever occur. Today, Italy came out on top with the most points, but I am confident that for everyone who had the privilege of being a part of UN Day, we all believe that #TheRanch2015 is the happiest place on the planet!

Thanks for reading- have a wonderful evening!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari