Banana Boats, Color Wars, & A Talent Show!

Yesterday Executive Director Kelley Lane had the opportunity to ride on a new banana boat which was kindly donated by two amazing camp volunteers. They love the banana boat because it allows sibling groups up to five to enjoy the activity together. Along with Kelley a sibling group of four decided to sing, "go bananas, go go bananas, peel bananas, peel peel bananas" while riding the banana boat. The driver decided to make a sharp turn while their hands were waving in the air and they all fell into the water!! They couldn't stop laughing after falling and it was even more humorous helping one another to get back on. These are priceless memories that our kids will never forget. Camp allows them to break from any chaos and instability in their life, and offers moments of childhood fun and laughter. After that wonderful moment Kelley said, "I am so grateful to be part of this organization and to be part of our siblings memories."

Yesterday morning began with fun camp activities and later ended with our camp-wide color wars. Our big momma and big daddy (head counselors) morphed into Dark Vader and Princess Leia and brought lots of excitement to the activities! The idea behind color wars that we shared with campers was that Dark Vader had invaded Camp To Belong MA and Princess Leia requested their help to save Camp To Belong MA. All color groups joined forces by participating in field camps, such as tug of war, to defeat Dark Vader. Campers created their own color group chants, decorated themselves with war paint and clothing and created a long color war banner with their hopes and dreams.

During the afternoon they held their annual William Egan Talent Show, named after a long time volunteer's father-in law. It was one of their best shows yet! As you can imagine, they heard many Frozen scores sung by talented young sisters. The camps talent shows are a favorite for Kelley because most campers feel safe enough to take a risk and perform in front of their peers. No matter the level of talent or gusto, everyone receives a standing ovation. Everyone and every talent matters.

The night ended with an interactive performance with Pizarts, a nonprofit dance troop dedicated to expanding youths knowledge and experience of various dance styles. They performed a range of dances and encouraged campers to participate in performances with them. More pictures to follow tomorrow!