YMCA Camp Wa Wa Segowea Wally Waddle and Work Weekend wrap-up!

On this past Mother's Day, the 6th Annual Wa Wa Wally Waddle was held at Vassar Farms in Poughkeepsie.  It was a great day weather wise and runners and walkers alike agreed, it was a fun day!

There was the 100 yard dash, the Kids Mile Run and of course, the 5K.  Congratulations to all the participants!  Wally made an appearance as did some balloon animals and face paintings.  

Josh and Lisa Perks continually put together a top notch event and have made the race a Mother's Day tradition which is getting bigger and better every year.  This year's race raised more than $3000 which will go towards scholarships for Hudson Valley children to attend Camp Wa Wa Segowea!   Thank you Josh and Lisa!

Here's some pictures of the event.

At the registration table-

Wally and some fans.

The kids mile run-

The Main Event!

Pies are always a big attraction!

Thanks to all that came out for camp!

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On the next weekend, Smith Park held a very successful Work Weekend.  Seniors, kids and volunteers of all ages and experience, came ready for work on Saturday.  A great amount of items were crossed off the To-Do List and it was called the best work weekend we've had in a long time!  Chili and Grilled Cheese were on the menu for lunch and Baked Ziti, sausage and peppers and onions, garlic bread and a tossed salad were enjoyed for dinner.  A good portion of volunteers stayed over in the cabins including members of the Leo Club from Spackenkill High School in Poughkeepsie, NY.  Thanks again Leo Club members!  All in all, it was a really good weekend!  

Here's some pictures of that-

Keller Cabin is now completely stained!

The Leo Club volunteers from Spackenkill High School

Raymond Cabin got a new roof.

Volunteer Don,  doing some sealing of the lodge.

A lot of manual labor was done!

Enjoying some fishing in the down time.

It was a full house!

 Lots and lots of raking!

Some new lodge lighting!

The next work weekend will be held on June 6th with an Open House on the 7th.  There's still work to do, so if you'd like to lend a hand, let us know!  Contact us at campwawasegowea@gmail.com

Hope to see you soon at camp!

We love Spring here at Camp Wa Wa Segowea!

It's May 5th and it seems like summer is already here at camp!  With temperatures in the 80s here this week, the trees have plenty of buds and the wildlife is coming alive after a long winter.  Spring has definitely sprung!  

In Springtime, there's plenty of events happening involving camp.  This past weekend we had our 2nd Annual Wa Wa Fish and Bait Fishing Derby as well as our first Open House of the season.  Both events came on the same day, Sunday and we couldn't have asked for better weather.  Parents and kids alike came out for the fishing derby and took pleasure in some great fishing!  All kinds of fish were being pulled in left and right and a fun time was had by all who attended.  They enjoyed a lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers provided by the American Legion.  

The Open House began at noontime with tours and conversations taking place.   Camp Director Randle Cassady and Camp Executive Director, Jay Cohen showed prospective campers around with help from some volunteers.  At the end of the day, we had kids register for that unique Wa Wa camp experience!  One returning alum (whose daughter will now attend camp) exclaimed that she was ecstatic that "camp was still camp"!  

Next up on the Spring event list is the 6th Annual 5k Race, the Wally Waddle!  Camp Alumni Josh and Lisa Perks have organized and run the race from Day 1 and it just keep getting better and better!  Thanks Josh and Lisa!  It will take place, as usual on Mother's Day, this coming Sunday, with race day registration beginning at 7:30 am at Vassar Farm in Poughkeepsie, NY.  Here's all the info-

6th Annual Wa Wa Wally Waddle 5k and Kids Runs.

Benefiting Camp Wa Wa Segowea Camper Scholarship Fund

Time: Sunday, May 10 · 9:00am - 12:00pm

Location: Vassar Farm Poughkeepsie, NY

• Race Day registration 7:30-9:30 am

• Kids 1 mile 9:30 am (free if you preregister $5 on race day)

• Kids Rugby Field Rush 100 yards 9:45 am (free)

• 5K Run/Walk 10:00 am ($20 preregistration $25 race day)

• Awarding of the Pies 11:00 am

• T-shirts to the 1st 200 Registered 5k runners

• Free games, face painting and balloon animals for the kids

• Register online here.  To find out more visit www.wallywaddle.org.

A huge Wa Wa thank you to all of this years race sponsors, we couldn't do this without you.

Silver Sponsors.

Mid-Hudson Oral Surgeons

Tubby's Bathroom Resurfacing

Morris Associates Engineering Consultants, PLLC

Adams Fairacre Farms

Mid-Hudson Road Runner's Club

Justin Feldman Physical Therapy

The Derby

Caffe Aurora 

Sign Sponsors

Eric's Fuel Service

WDST  

The weekend after the Wally Waddle, we'll turn our efforts to camp and our Work Weekend.  It will take place on May 16th and 17th and we definitely need some help.  There's at least 8 MAJOR projects and both manpower and materials are needed.  If you can spend any time on either day, please let us know- campwawasegowea@gmail.com

So what projects will we be working on?    Here's the list:

Outside Lodge Repairs

Pawnee Cabin leveling

Log replacement on the path to Seneca Cabin

New cable railing at the Overlook.

Replacement of electrical box covers

Setting new flag pole

Parade Field Drainage Improvements

Replacement of lodge and Dining Hall Lights

New Cabin Shutters

Staining and Spray foaming

Electrical work

Raymond roof repair

Repair Hart Lodge Porch

What materials will we need?

6-8 sacks of ready mix concrete

heavy duty house jacks

6-12 solid concrete blocks of various thickness 

LP Coated Cabling 1/4" bolts with eyes and cable hardware

Shovels, wheelbarrows

2-3 gallons of brown stain

2-3 cans of spray foam

2 lbs of roofing nails, 100' drip edging, 2 rolls of base coat and 2 rolls of cap coat

2-3 sheets of 3/8" plywood

5 sheets  of 3/8" marine grade plywood, 2 lbs 1.5" coated deck screws

If you can provide any of these, please let us know!  campwawasegowea@gmail.com

It will indeed be a very busy weekend!  Won't you come and help?

One bit of sad news.  The tree at the Outpost that held the rope swing was a victim of the bad winter. It was dead on the inside and fell over.  No word on whether it made any sound!

Here's some recent pictures of spring at camp as well as some Fishing Derby and Open House pics.

Hope to see you at camp!

It's March Madness at Camp Wa Wa Segowea!

It's time!   March at camp means that:  

1- It's a sure bet that there's still snow at camp

2- Close to 100 days till the first full day of camp.

3- It's time for March Madness!  

The NCAA Basketball Tournament begins this week, and it's time to make your picks.   Now in our 7th year, the Segowea 64 NCAA Brackets means you can make your picks on who you think will win the NCAA's, and know you're helping to send a kid to camp!  For the details on what to do next, simply click HERE.  It's a fun time to be had and you don't have to know college basketball to participate!  Your picks do have to be made by noon on Thursday, March 19th, as games get underway that same day.  Money raised will go towards camper scholarships meaning kids will be able to enjoy that truly unique Segowea experience.  So make your picks, maybe win some money and support camp all at the same time!

In other camp news, the Northwest CT YMCA and Smith Park of New York got together a couple times for different reasons.  In January, members of Smith Park,  the Northwest Y and Camp Advisory committee members all got together at the Y to discuss Camp in a strategy session.  Then earlier this month, Smith Park of New York held their annual meeting and during it, heard a presentation on 2014's summer from Greg Brisco, CEO of the Y and got a look ahead to the summer of 2015 from new Camp Director Randle Cassady.  Both meetings provided a positive outlook moving forward for all parties and both can't wait for the summer to get here!

From the Strategy Session-

And the Smith Park Annual Meeting-

There is still quite a bit of snow around camp and below are a few pictures of it!

See you at camp!

It's Thanksgiving time at YMCA Camp Wa Wa Segowea!

It's November, and almost Thanksgiving and we've already seen our first snowfall at camp!  There's plenty of deer around as well as some wild turkeys, but it's mainly pretty quiet at Segowea these days. All the leaves have fallen and all will be waiting to be raked up next spring.  The lake isn't frozen yet, but we're sure it will be soon!

It's hard to believe that in a little over a month the new year will start!  Until the, we've just a few items to let you know about.

First we have the sad news of the passing of a camp fixture indeed, Lavergne "Vern" Gardner.  Vern was a long time member of the camp committee and was involved on the work weekends, going back to the 1960's.  The Gardner name itself is evident at camp on a couple of plaques.  Vern's dad,  Frank, has his name on the outside and the inside of the Nature Lodge (being used currently as the Arts & Crafts building).    So needless to say the Gardner name at camp is a treasured one!

Vern was honored back in March of 1986 as one of the "Segowea Fixtures".  Past president of the Smith Park Board, John Fisher said "Vern was a key figure of the camp board that hired me back in the fall of 1976. Vern was a real camp guy".

His camp committee days lasted until the mid-1990's and he handled the camp's insurance needs during that time.  We send our heartfelt sympathies out to the Gardner family at this time.   Here's a couple pictures with Vern, the first from a work weekend in 1961. (Vern is 3rd from the left)

This one below, is from 1975, on another work weekend.

and this one is from 1970, with Vern and Bob Gaddis digging out a ditch. (Vern, with the hat on)

It is the holiday season and that means it's time for gift wrapping once again!  Friends of Segowea will be out at Barnes & Noble in Poughkeepsie on December 20th for those last minute shoppers. This is our 5th year wrapping presents and proceeds of donations will go towards the continual support of Camp Wa Wa Segowea!  We'll have a table set up right in the store and be happy to do your gift wrapping for you.  So come on out and say hi and get some gifts wrapped!
It's Saturday December 20th at the Barnes and Noble on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie, NY. We'll be there all day!

Next on our list of what's new is the new Smith Park logo!  Smith Park of course, is the landowner where Camp is located. "The mission of Smith Park is to ensure the continued existence of Camp Wa Wa Segowea."  The logo was put together by a team of volunteers and we think it says it all!  Thanks to all that helped for creating it!  Here's what it looks like-

Staying with Smith Park news, you can now purchase Smith Park items in an online store!  There's shirts, sweatshirts, postcards, travel mugs, bandana's and other items for sale,  just in time for the holidays!  The collaboration is with Zazzle.com and you can access the store via this link http://www.zazzle.com/segowea    or go to Zazzle.com and search for Segowea.

Lastly, did you know dates are set for next year and registration has begun?  We're so excited because we know camp will be here before we know it!   Reserve your spot now with the dates you're looking for.  We know people are already planning for next summer, so you can make the decision now on when you'll attend!    Simply click HERE to go to registration. Pay all registration fees in full by December 31, 2014, and receive additional discounts on your camp enrollment, in addition to the Early Bird rates!

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, and we'll see you at camp!