Howdy, friends! It’d been a wild week from start to finish and we have so many great things to celebrate. First and foremost: we made national news! Not once, but a few times! For those who haven’t seen our 2021 Staff Video yet, check it out before you keep reading:
After keeping our gates closed in 2020, camp was too quiet and too empty. We wanted to share our excitement in opening our gates again for summer 2021 with a parody rendition of “For the First Time in Forever” from Disney’s Frozen. What started as a light-hearted video to get staff and campers excited for the summer has reached far beyond our Merrie-Woode community.
The initial surprise of our video going viral was then met with a stark realization: camp re-opening is the little spark of hope that can light a much bigger fire. It is one of the first indicators that we, as a global community, are beginning to turn the page. It’s happy news—which is something we don’t get enough of these days.
As the paws behind the camera, I can give you some inside scoop on how all of this was orchestrated. It started with a crazy idea from Lindsay and Courtney. We love big ideas around here. So, we made it happen. We carried our camera around camp and filmed the excitement of Senior Staff and our counselors as they rejoiced during Orientation Week. Our head of Music, Nathan, conducted the chorale sections and taught our counselor chorus some beautiful harmonies. Everyone was simply so happy to be back together. However, it wasn’t just the singing and dancing that resonated so strongly with every viewer.
People who didn’t know us—and who have never even heard of us—watched and smiled as we broke into synchronized excitement. It wasn’t just our pitchy voices that brought tears to their eyes, but the energy and happiness that is coupled with a world beginning to recover. In a year like no other, community has been a saving grace. Here at Merrie-Woode, that community is stronger than ever. In fact, it’s so strong that our bond has ricocheted off of Old Bald and into the TV and phone screens of people around the world. We may be the tiny, tiny spark, but we lit a big, big fire. Here’s to a summer full of summer camps, singing, dancing, and, best of all, being together again.
Here are links to our features:
Today Show link:
https://www.today.com/video/summer-camp-staff-show-off-their-skills-in-video-welcoming-campers-114270789665
iHeart Radio article:
https://www.iheart.com/content/2021-06-03-watch-north-carolina-camp-channels-disney-favorite-to-welcome-back-campers/
We were also featured in a video clip on Inside Edition, but there is sadly no link to that. If you see us anywhere on the news, feel free to let us know! We’re unplugged around here so all of this came as a surprise—a wonderful, humbling, and exciting surprise.
Please, no flash photography,
Tajar
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