For those interested in Olympic Day results the win went to the Grateful Dead, followed by the Rolling Stones, Beatles, and Queen. Great fun was had by all.

Today was one of those hot muggy summer days that you hope will never end. We woke up early for our annual first session lake swim. We had a solid turn out with 75 participants plunging into Blue Lake. The swim is shy of a mile and it's one of those long-standing traditions we all look forward to. Whether we swim it, watch it, cheer on our friends or get to taste that delicious hot chocolate, all of us are eager to see who steps on land first. The lake swim isn't about how fast you finish. It's about finishing. Local camper Bree, Ally S.and  Yvette were greeted with loud cheers coming from the beach as they crossed the finish line. Many young campers successfully completed the swim with wide smiles on their faces. All 75 swimmers completed the lake swim in less than an hour. The best results in over a decade. Well done girls and all before breakfast! 

After breakfast, with water bottles in hand, campers rotated through activities with ease but by mid-afternoon, the humid conditions were getting the best of us. Our stunning waterfront was peppered with swimmers, kayakers, canoers, skiers, sailors, snorkelers and standup paddleboarders. Many campers took advantage of a drop-ski clinic.  Even those playing land sports took to the water halfway through their lesson. However, our scorcher day didn't stop the girls in cooking who were involved in the Agawak bake-off!  Yesterday it was a brownie bake-off, today a muffin bake-off and tomorrow it will be a cookie bake-off! I'm currently staring at 50 muffins in my office....deciding which one to eat. Each one tastes better than the one before. My waistline is growing! Karla who runs our indoor cooking program is phenomenal. Did you know we have over 10 highly qualified educators like Karla on staff? They truly elevate the quality of our instruction and are an important part of our program. If you come for visiting day, you'll be able to meet some of our skilled instructors. 

Below are a few friendly reminders for visiting day this Saturday:

** For first session campers, not being picked up, the buses will leave Friday morning. Please check the website for updates on their arrival to the Chicago area. 

 ** Camp opens to visitors at 9:00 am Saturday morning. We're hoping for a beautiful day so your daughter can show you around camp and show off some of their skills. Breakfast snacks, fresh fruit, donuts, coffee and much more will be served on the lawn near the tennis courts so please come hungry. 

** Unfortunately, only Agawak campers are allowed to ski, climb the Tango Tower and participate in other activities for liability reasons.  We will have a video playing in Happy Camper Hall capturing our amazing Blue and White Lip Sync performances from Wednesday evening. Please check it out before leaving the grounds. 

** For safety reasons pets are not allowed on camp property. Also, please keep in mind that, on Sunday, when you bring your daughter back to camp if you bring in snacks they will be collected within 48 hours to avoid rodents in your daughter's cabin so don’t overdo it. 

With only two full days let we have much to fit in. Tomorrow night is our famous Blue and White Lip Sync and Thursday is our first session final campfire. We will squeeze in a condensed version of Matilda before Friday and cabins will enjoy various action prizes after "cashing in" their hard-earned Agawak dollars. We have had a spectacular first session. I could NOT ask for more. I am proud of the staff and I am proud of everything your girls have accomplished. They have grown and stretched in many positive ways. 

Smile on,

Mary