Anticipation, Excitement, Tears & Cheers,- those are some of the words to describe this year’s Olympic break.
It was a typical Thursday afternoon at Camp Starlight. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the campers had just started their 5th period activities. But, if you know David and Allison, what was about to happen was anything but ordinary. At approximately 3:15PM campers noticed drones in the sky with signs reading, “Follow Me”, that led the camp to the Snack Shack.
A “Special Delivery” truck had driven and stopped, alerting our campers that something epic was about to unfold. Two uniformed men stepped onto the roof of the truck with a package dropping a cryptic sign that read “GOOD”.
By this time, campers and counselors had come running from all corners of the camp screaming with excitement and cheering, “1, 3, 5, 6 we want Olympics!” The drones reappeared, hovering above the mass, again revealing signs saying, “Follow Me” leading campers to the Rec Hall. There, Jeff Moss stood atop a platform holding a medium sized package with a sign that unfurled reading, “Things come in . . .”
By now the campus was in a frenzy of excitement and anticipation. More drones overhead led campers running towards the Dining Hall where David stood on the porch holding a small package. Knowing how hungry the children and staff were for Olympics, David slowly unrolled the final note that read, “Small packages.”
Just as a wave moves across the ocean as it breaks its way to shore, the whole camp moved towards the carriage house, following the drones and the sound of a low-flying helicopter that was now circling overhead, dropping hundreds of small packages.
They raced and scrambled to pick up and open these special deliveries where they found blue and white M&Ms emblazoned with the names of this year’s Olympic Teams: Big Easy Blues and White Madness. The drones reappeared once again with the most important message of all, OLYMPICS flying from the banners.
And madness it was as finally, the coveted Olympic lists were dropped from the sky, fluttering down to outstretched and awaiting hands revealing what the campers have been waiting ten months for, their team’s color. United in excitement and spirit, sportsmanship and friendship, the camp was ready to begin the most anticipated week of the summer. This is one Olympic Break that turned an ordinary day into an extraordinary memory that will last a lifetime.
