Thursday morning arrived with our campers eager to get the most out of their last full day of Camp Oz. Eggs, sausage and hash browns were on the menu and the addition of granola to the yogurt bar was an enormous hit. Heading out after breakfast brought the exciting discovery that the Gaga Ball pits were finally dry enough to not be a total mud fest while playing. It has almost felt strange with how little this ultra-popular below the knees, dodgeball-esque game has been played this year but boy did our kids make up for lost time. Dirty palms were badges of honor for these serious gamers!
While every cabin has basically the same schedule of activities balanced out over the course of the week, some groups feel like they have to wait “literally forever” to get to their favorite ones on Thursday. We had vans running groups over to Croix Farm to clear out weeds, which of course was turned into a competition by the campers, and to get our last visits in with the wonderful horses. Our outdoor cookers were busy splitting apples for their crisp or picking out the perfect amount of chocolate chips to stir into their fire-toasted brownies. Then we had rock climbers summoning their courage to strive for the goal that they set for themselves. By raising or lowering a strung-up cowbell, the climbers made sure that no matter how high they climbed, they could always finish their attempt with a triumphant ding-a-ling.
We somehow fit lunch and dinner in between all of the fun we were having and then got ready for the main event of the evening; all camp campfires! A brand-new component of Camp Oz based on last year’s camper surveys wanting to spend more time with other cabins, we had the six youngest boys and girls cabins roasting s’mores at one fire, and then the six oldest cabins together at the fire in the next clearing over. The mood was celebratory of a week well lived and even a short drizzle couldn’t harm the joyful atmosphere. Kids from all different cabins played frisbee and football together, danced and sang together, built forts, devoured their s’mores and relished their last night of just being a kid at summer camp.
Our final half day on Friday always goes by in the blink of an eye but we wish that time would move a little bit slower so we could spend more time with our kids. In between breakfast and a cookout lunch, we finish packing up and then celebrate our week of Camp Oz with a closing ceremony and the ever-popular Oz Got Talent. All week campers have been practicing the routines that they want to share with the rest of camp and it is a treat to see what talented kids we have amongst us. It really is a testament to the character of our 91 campers that our performers feel brave and safe enough to show off their skills because they know they will be supported no matter what. We’ve seen it constantly throughout the week that our kids show up and stand up for each other and we couldn’t be more proud.
Camp Oz is the best part of my job at the Epilepsy Foundation, and I so love how much of an impact we can make for the epilepsy community in just one week. We do not take lightly the faith and trust you put in us with your precious cargo and Amy and I can’t thank you enough for giving us the gift of your caring, accepting, and fun-seeking kids this week.
Camp Oz for life!
Erik
Camp Oz Co-Director