KOKS_Stories_March 2026 Final

STORIES FROM THE COUNCIL TREE

YMCA CAMP KON-O-KWEE SPENCER MARCH 2026 | ISSUE #1

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR When I was seven years old, my mom sent me to a YMCA overnight camp in New Jersey for two weeks. By the second Friday, I was sitting in the director’s office asking to call home—not because I was homesick, but because I wanted to stay longer.

Somehow my mom said yes, and I ended up staying eight straight weeks that summer!

Looking back, she saw what I didn’t yet understand: camp was giving me confidence, positive role models, and a second family. It gave me a foundation that shaped the rest of my life.

That’s why this work matters so much to me—and why this year feels especially meaningful as we prepare for our 100th summer at Camp Kon-OKwee Spencer. For a century, camp has been a place where kids grow, try new things, and discover who they are.

As we step into our Centennial Year, we’re making improvements to ensure camp is ready for the next hundred summers. One of our biggest efforts this year has been the Cabin Renovation Project.

Thanks to the leadership from our Property Committee Volunteers led by Bob Boyle, we’ve installed 210 new bunk beds over a 4-year period to maintain safe camper ratios, added LVT flooring and exhaust fans, and refreshed cabin interiors. These updates help keep camp safe, welcoming, and ready for the future.

Mack being inducted into “Bulls Eye Club” in 1984 at a Boy Scouts’ Weekend

This newsletter is also making its return as we share more stories, highlight the impact of camp, and look ahead to celebrations like our Centennial Weekend (September 11–13, 2026!!!).

Whether you’re a camper family, alum, partner group, or friend of camp—thank you for being part of this incredible 100-year story.

Sincerely, Mike “Mack” McElhinney Executive Director YMCA Camp Kon-O-Kwee Spencer Young Mack cooking up some dinner at a campout

YMCA CAMP KON-O-KWEE SPENCER

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W E A N T S C ’ T A A M H P W THE LATEST NEWS ON CAMP EVENTS AND PROGRAMS!

SUMMER CAMP We are gearing up for an epic 100th Summer here at Camp Kon-O-Kwee Spencer! Our staff is hard at work preparing the grounds and fine-tuning our programming to ensure every camper has an experience worthy of this historic milestone.

NEW THIS YEAR: X-ZONE X-Zone is a skill-building Program Zone designed specifically for our 12-13 year-old campers (Expa and Lora)! X-Zone allows campers to choose a specialized activity to focus on each day. Whether they discover a lifelong hobby or master a new craft, they’ll head home with a newfound skill and lasting memories. More details and specific program options will be released in the coming weeks!

VILLAGES ARE FILLING UP FAST! If you haven’t registered for Summer 2026 yet, we encourage you to do so soon. We are committed to making camp accessible for every family, so please contact the office if you have questions about financial assistance. Please note that the deadline to apply for financial assistance is May 15, 2026.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: AMANDA ADAMS

SUMMER CAMP & CONFERENCE DIRECTOR Hi friends! My name is Amanda and I started in this position in late September and camp already feels like home to me and my family.

I am coming from French Creek Council of Scouting America, where I focused on youth development and fundraising! I hold a Master’s in Environmental Education and Parks and Resource Management from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (Go Rock!!) and a dual Bachelor’s degree in Parks and Resource Management and History.

My husband, Kyle and I are proud parents of two human kiddos, Theodora “Teddi” (5) and Walden “Wally” (11 months) and four furry kiddos, our dogs, Birdie and Kiki and our cats, Jasper and Jenner. I love to read and needle felt, and enjoy hiking (I have been exploring the trails around KOKS whenever I can)!

I look forward to meeting everyone at camp drop off, parent-child weekends, or around Zelie. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, connections or “howdies” (aadams@ymcapgh.org)!

NEED NEW GEAR FOR CAMP? Check out our new online Trading Post HERE! YMCA CAMP KON-O-KWEE SPENCER

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VOLUNTEERING & GIVING BACK SPRING WORK DAY

We welcomed 18 amazing volunteers on Saturday, March 21st for our first Spring Work Day to dust cobwebs, rake leaves, repaint, and spruce up camp for the spring.

Thank you to all of our volunteers for helping us prepare!

There is still plenty of work to be done! Our next community workday is APRIL 11TH! If you would like to join please reach out to our Property Director, Tim Shank, Sr. (tshanksr@ymcapgh.org) to schedule time to come lend a hand!

Volunteers Brett Aristegui (left) and David Williamson (right) give the village signs a much needed new coat of paint!

GIVING DAYS Thank you to everyone that supported camp on Y Day of Giving (March 26) by either sharing a story about why camp is important to you or by giving a gift!

We raised $5,090 towards sending kids to camp!

AMPAIGN C L

DATE UP

ANNUA

“I had the privilege of attending camp for many summers and look forward to seeing many kids including my niece and nephew do the same” - Dan Illson

$22,180 RAISED WANT TO GIVE THE GIFT OF CAMP? CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT OUR ANNUAL CAMPAIGN/ SEND A KID TO CAMP PROGRAM

YMCA CAMP KON-O-KWEE SPENCER

Volunteers (left to right) Ray Steeb, Patrick Maltba, Cheryl Sorensen, and Bob Boyle bring the last of the new bunk beds into Cabin 2 in Juna Village!

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O T S E H R A O R E M ’ !

S

CABIN RENOVATION PROJECT COMPLETED!

MAKING A SPLASH: POOL HEATER UPGRADE

BOB BOYLE, VOLUNTEER Over the past two years, Camp Kon-O-Kwee Spencer has completed a major cabin renovation project that prioritized enhancing comfort, safety, and community for campers. Upgrades included new bunk beds and mattresses, fresh paint, improved flooring, and added exhaust fans.

SALLY WRIGHT, OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND PARTNER CAMP DIRECTOR After years of relying on a pre-owned boiler that limited our early-season use, Camp Kon-O-Kwee Spencer has installed a new pool boiler!! By May 2026, our pool will reach a comfortable 80°F, perfect for visiting school groups!

These improvements were made possible through generous community support. Special thanks to Rosedale Technical College students for their hands-on contributions, PPG Paints for donated paint, and our Clarion Boards, Inc and JM Leasing Company for their support with flooring and trucking.

The upgrade also allows us to host lifeguard certification courses on-site, giving staff the chance to train in the same environment they’ll oversee all summer.

Thanks to these efforts, our cabins are more than just places to sleep, they’re spaces where campers truly feel at home.

A simple change with a big impact: warmer spring swims and better-prepared lifeguards for a safe season ahead!

SPRING INTO SUMMER JONATHAN “JONO” SPRING, VOLUNTEER I’m Jono, an ex-camper and summer staff member, and current Advisory Board member for Camp KonO-Kwee Spencer! I love volunteering at Spring into Summer and Fall Fest because I can show people all of the things I love about camp! I’ll be back in Juna Village for Spring into Summer on May 3rd for s’mores by the fire and would love to see you there.

It’s a great chance to explore camp, try activities, and make memories as a family!

Sign up HERE to come visit or volunteer on MAY 3RD

Inside one of the finished cabins- new flooring, paint, and bunk beds!

Jono (right) tending the fire at Fall Fest in 2025 Tim Shank, Sr. (center) picking up paint donations from PPG Paints!

Tom Bayley (left) and Nate Hughes (right) staining new bunk beds!

YMCA CAMP KON-O-KWEE SPENCER

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ALUMNI CORNER CAT VARGO, VOLUNTEER Hi Camp Family!

I’m Cat Vargo, proud camper and staff alum from 2003–2008, and I’m so excited to reconnect with you all.

Some of my favorite memories take me back to a village overnight campout, tucked deep in the woods. We cooked over the fire, leaned on our outdoor skills, and learned what it really meant to work as a team. Those moments didn’t just make great stories, they built confidence and leadership skills that have stayed with me ever since and continue to shape who I am today.

Cat and her partner, Ben in Summer 2025.

After studying manufacturing engineering at Penn State, I found my way to Salesforce, where I now help consumer goods companies navigate the ever-evolving world of AI. Life moves fast, but staying connected to camp keeps me grounded in something bigger: supporting and serving youth in the Pittsburgh community.

These days, I also serve on the Camp Kon-O-Kwee Spencer Board of Advisors, where I help bring our alumni community together through social media. And that’s what this space is all about: celebrating you. We’ll be highlighting alumni who are making an impact in their careers, communities, and families.

SO, WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU? We’d love to hear your story. Send us an email at campkon-okwee@ymcapgh.org with the subject line: “KOKS Alumni Connection!” and let’s celebrate everything that makes this camp community so special, especially as we mark our 100th year.

Cat and some of her favorite campers in Summer 2008

GET CONNECTED! Find us on social media, and scan the QR code to share your memories of YMCA Camp Kon-OKwee Spencer! @campkonokweespencer Left to right: Tai Papariella (Steeb), Greg Illson, Cat Vargo, Jonathan “Jono” Spring, Anne Beitler, and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Rubenstein at the Board of Advisors Retreat in Winter 2026.

YMCA CAMP KON-O-KWEE SPENCER

YMCA Camp Kon-O-Kwee Spencer ISSUE #1

UPCOMING EVENTS

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

MAR 26

Y DAY OF GIVING

MAY 3

SPRING INTO SUMMER

Mark your calendars for Camp Kon-O-Kwee Spencer’s Centennial Celebration!

JUNE 14

SUMMER CAMP STARTS

We’re planning a reunion weekend filled with the traditions you remember and the memories you’ll make all over again. Full registration and lodging information will be released May 1, 2026.

SEPTEMBER 11-13, 2026

Cabin space is limited, CLICK HERE to sign up to be notified with early access information!

SEPT 11-13

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

Questions, let us help you by reaching out KOKSCentennial@ymcapgh.org.

2026 ANNUAL CAMPAIGN DONORS THANK YOU FOR GIVING THE GIFT OF CAMP!

Anonymous (8)

Hawthorne, Chris

Munn, Joshua

Snyder, William

Bader, Margaret

Hitchcock, Lisa

Murral, Sawyer

Sorensen, Cheryl

Bonime, Treci

Howard, Kathleen

Nikithser, Conor

Stokes, Natalie

Boyle, Robert

Hyman, Cooper

Papariella, Taisia

Strickling, Robert

Brumbaugh, Dan

Illson, Dan

Penrod, Andrew

Walsh, Michael

Buzzell, William & Dorothy

Illson, John L

Pulleo, Matthew

White, William

Cain, Lindsey

Johnson, Matthew

Relyea, Hudson

Williamson, David

Cook, Marie

Junker, Robert

Rubenstein, Elizabeth

Wilmot, Claire

Dellana, Andrew

Kistler, Morgan

Rubenstein, Philip

Wilmot, Victoria

Dick's Sporting Goods

Lamb, Barbara

Salesforce, Inc.

Wolfe, Alister

Dolan, Lucian

Madigan, Colin

Shank, Tim

Wolfe, Opal

Esposito, Christina

Malcomson, Andrew

Singer, Barbara

Young, Greg

Gegick, Kimberly

McAdoo, Shannon

Slomkowski, Nora

Ziese, James

Hamilton, James

McElhinney, Michael

Smith-Yap, Elena

Zinn, Matthew

CONTACT US! 126 Nagel Rd, Fombell, Pennsylvania 16123 | (724) 758-6238 | ycampkok.org | campkon-o-kwee@ymcapgh.org YMCA CAMP KON-O-KWEE SPENCER

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