High Peaks Giving Levels John and Alida Vessey Eric G. Wagner Mara F. Wallace BC Watson and R Izraeli Sam Weinig Barbara Westergaard Dick and Sara Wilde Wolfe Family Trust Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Family Foundation Melvyn and Cyvia Wolff Bethany and Charles Wynder Beth Zadek and Joph Steckel
Rocky Peak (4,420 ft) $250-$499 Anonymous (8) Robert Adeland American Recycling Technologies, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Henry H. Armstrong ’44 Allegra Harris Azulay Timothy and Claire Barnett Lionel and Deborah Barthold
Donor Profile: Ned Whitney, CTT Parent 90-95
made in their lives,” says Ned. “While their mother and I didn’t experience Treetops directly, our sons’ appreciation of Treetops makes it important to us.” Ned recounts the lessons his sons embraced long after their nights around a campfire. “Treetops encouraged them to be innovative and independent thinkers and to be good leaders and good followers. It taught them to be respectful of and sensitive to others in a group, ultimately making them good teachers of others.”
Lifetime Friends & Lasting Values Like so many Treetops enthusiasts, Ned Whitney can easily describe the lasting effect Camp has on a young life. Only, Ned wasn’t a camper. As the father of William (CTT 90-94, TTF 95, Staff 98-99, 02) and John (CTT 90-94, TTF 95, Staff 97-99, 02-03), he recognizes that Treetops provided formative experiences that yielded his sons both lifetime friends and lasting values. “No other institution even comes close in terms of the fundamental difference it has
Micah Goodman David and Susan Heller Sandra Hurd Hennemeyer John P. Herrera Bruce Hodes Matthew P. Hoffman ’85 IBM Corporation Mr. and Mrs. Judson H. Irish Jr. Scott and Mary Beth Kennedy Jonathan Kerlin Mr. Bradley F. Kerr Jessica Koster John and Meg Kotler James and Emily Kronenberg Greg and Bunny LeClair Steve and Clarissa Lefkowitz Brigit Loud ’96 Gregory and Alicia Marchildon Lauren McGovern and John Sweeney Alan and Alice Model Leni and David Moore Jr. Richard and Barbara Moore Alice Morey and Harvey Weinig
Dr. Claire Basescu Becker/Chase Family The Berkowitzes Henry Bernstein Wing Biddle ’75 Thatcher G. Brown Mr. and Mrs. William L. Brown Luis Browne Alice Gresham Bullock Burnham Financial Services, LLC Seth and Eli Clare David and Jane Condliffe Joan and Jim Darby David deCourcy Cassie Levitt Dippo Mark Dumont and Lynn Mehlman Susan Elman and Joe Ronson Rollie Eubanks Angie and Ted Ewing Greg Farrell David and Daniella Friedman Ehud and Laura Gelblum Alice Woolsey Godfrey
John Whitney agrees, recalling that after their first summer, “It was clear to the whole family that Camp was more than a way to pass the time. It was, and is, a place that centers on people and relationships rather than activities and things. And it was those people and relationships that kept us coming back year after year.” Brother William adds a bit of a twist. “Treetops developed and nurtured a love of the outdoors in both of us,” he says. And he sees outdoor activities as relevant to making connections to others. “One of the ways Treetops develops relationships,” he explains, “is by removing a lot of the modern distractions that isolate us from the natural world. In the absence of modern convenience we experience the natural world on simpler and more
direct terms and through that process gain a greater understanding of ourselves and others.” Ned and his wife Martha Howell have been long-term supporters of the Annual Fund. On a recent occasion to review and update their wills, they included Camp Treetops in their estate plans and became members of the Balanced Rocks Circle. “If you support an institution when you are alive, why wouldn’t you want to support it after your death?” Ned asks. “We like to think that our support of Treetops will help other people’s children have the kind of experiences our sons had.” Says John: “That my parents have joined the Balanced Rocks Circle demonstrates the values that I strive to match. I believe we all learned from Treetops that being part of a community is a privilege—and supporting that community is not a duty but an opportunity to strengthen it.” This past summer Ned and Martha hosted a party at their home in Vermont, and a dozen of the guests were their sons’ fellow counselors and Treetops West adventurers from almost two decades ago. The following weekend, the same group reassembled in Lake Placid for Friends’ Weekend. “In some senses, you never leave Treetops,” Ned says. “And it never leaves you.”
page 7 - Annual Report, September 1, 2012 – August 31, 2013