Week Two flew by here at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac, we can’t believe we’re already more than halfway through Session One!
We started the week with a popular evening event – our annual USA vs. Canada Hockey game. One group of talented hockey players were slotted as Team USA, while the others were team Canada. The rest of the camp cheered them on from the sidelines. This year, Canada took the win, but USA will be back in 2024!
Ask any camper to pick their favorite days of a Mah-Kee-Nac summer, and 100% of them will include 4th of July! We always start the day with the challenging, messy, fun, exciting Tough Mudder. The 3.5-mile course consists of obstacles like a climbing wall, a tire drag, an army crawl, human-sized beach ball rolls, and a lot of running. The goal is not to win the race, but to complete the course, start to finish as a bunk. The big finale this year was a slip-and-slide into the finish! After campers and staff complete the course as a team, they move on to the Carnival, where their hard work is rewarded with lots of treats and games. The carnival food was outrageous this summer complete with popcorn, cotton candy, snow cones, churros, soft pretzels, and walking tacos! The evening was almost sidelined by rain, but the sky eventually cleared, and the campers got to take on beautiful fireworks show on display from Tanglewood (the grand finale just after James Taylor finishes his concert).
We also had our first trip day of the summer. Our youngest kids (TJC) and middles (LSR) went to Lake Compounce – the first amusement park in North America! As expected, the day was filled with thrills – roller coasters, water rides, bumper cars and more. Our Upper Seniors headed out to an MLS (Major League Soccer) game in New York City where the New York City FC (Football Club) played the Charlotte FC. The game ended in a draw and the kids had an absolute blast!
Speaking of trips, our eldest campers, the Senecas, were living the Pura Vida life with an extraordinary journey to Costa Rica! They spent an amazing week surfing, white water rafting, hiking, exploring Cahuita National Park, experiencing a cooking class and painting rooms in a childcare center to bring life and joy to the space. It was an experience they’ll never forget.
Back at camp, Founder’s Cup continued strong. The battle for the cup resumed with a four-by-four-by-four tournament. Four teams, divided by age group, had to play 4-way soccer and 4-way ultimate frisbee. Four teams, four goals, lots of points and just as many laughs.
We closed the week with our Friday night huddle. This was a special night, as returning campers received their 3-year shorts and 5-year jackets. The theme of the evening, quite fittingly, was friendship, and we recognized campers and counselors who have been particularly good friends to others this week.
That’s it for week two. Don’t forget, you can get daily updates with our newsletter MKN Today on MKNTOTEM.COM. Be sure to create an account and read about all about the daily happenings at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac!