fun times H O R I Z O N S DAY C A M P
N E W S L E T T E R
WINTER 2022
Dearest Horizonites! What a supreme delight it was to be back at Horizons with you in 2021 after a summer away. What were some of your highlights, I wonder? Singing camp songs, achieving a top archery score, doing a giant splashing cannonball into the lake, and laughing with new and old friends—
these are just SOME of the great memories campers have shared with me. As we have always believed at Horizons, working through challenges helps make us stronger and more capable of navigating our way through future obstacles. We know things won’t always be smooth sailing— and that’s okay! Last summer was an example of this: we needed to
find some new, creative ways to do things at camp so we could stay safe and prevent the spread of Covid. One thing we did to adapt comes to my mind: when we needed to have fewer people accessing the lake at one time, counselors made a GIANT slip and slide to help us stay cool on hot days. What an entertaining way to adapt! I’m incredibly proud of how our whole Horizons community came together and worked hard to make magic happen. Some of the adaptations we made will likely become highlights we incorporate into future summers. Imagine having
your lunch in the treehouse or enjoying a full-camp outdoor assembly at the waterfront next summer!
This fall, I visited our new Camp Fire space many times, both alone and with some fellow Horizonites. Fond memories come flooding back, like celebrating major milestones for staff who have been with us for 10 and 20 summers (Elizabeth and Thaddeus, and Timmy, respectively)! We are what we are because of the dedication of such outstanding people. As rustling leaves mimicked the crackling fire, I thought of the wonderful stories we enjoyed, beautiful guitars accompanying happy singing, hearing of camper achievements, and overall the feeling of being together in such a special place, surrounded by friends. I am counting the days until camp 2022 and hope to see you there! In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you anytime if you want to be in touch. I wish you a splendid New Year. Love and laughter,
Stuart Fairbairn, Horizons Director sfairbairn@alohafoundation.org (802) 333-3400