Thank You Anokijig Campers!

The sun has now set on another fantastic summer camp season at Anokijig. In typical Anokijig fashion, thousands of children had the time of their lives, with lasting memories that will stretch well beyond the upcoming winter months.

As in years past, Anokijig welcomed campers this year from all corners of the world, including Singapore, Russia, Spain and Germany. We also hosted campers from 24 different states, but more than 90% of our campers still come from Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

One trend that did change dramatically from 2008, was the number of campers who received campership assistance. Since 1926, Camp Anokijig has never denied a child the opportunity to go camping on the shores of Little Elkhart, due to a lack of financial resources. In 2009, 240 campers received more than $100,000 worth of assistance.

While it is amazing to think of the incredible fun and personal growth these children experienced during their time at Anokijig, it's even more impressive to think of the generosity of our donors and supporters, that made this all possible. Without your help and support, many of these children simply would not have been able to come to Anokijig.

We say it often, but maybe not often enough- For many campers who visit Anokijig, the experience is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Their first campfire, their first night away from home, their first fish caught, their first night away from their parents, their first horseback ride and the list goes on. It may be hard for some people to believe, but we meet campers every year, who have never swam in water without chlorine, before visiting Anokijig!

A big "RIC TIC" also needs to go out to our hard-working staff, dedicated volunteers and all the other donors and supporters who make Anokijig one of the best places on earth. We appreciate your unwavering commitment to camping excellence!

Anokijig International

When we think about all the great opportunities Camp Anokijig provides, we normally don't think of it as an environment for children to be immersed in the English language. After all, the vast majority of our campers are from Wisconsin and Illinois.

Even though most of our campers are local, we do host campers from dozens of different states. In fact, last year, Camp Anokijig hosted campers from 23 different states. We know all of these campers keep coming back to Anokijig because of their previous positive experiences here. But we also know some of their parents are also saving money, by flying their children to Wisconsin and sending them to Anokijig, instead of paying for a $1,000+/week camp near their home.

In addition to all of those campers, we routinely host campers from several foreign countries. Last year, children from Croatia, France, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Spain spent time at Camp Anokijig. Many of these children come to Camp Anokijig to work on their English and Anokijig just happens to be the perfect environment for a child to immerse themselves in the English language.

In 2007, we also hosted campers from seven foreign countries, including 29 campers from South Korea, who all came to the States specifically to work on their grasp of the English language. Time spent at Camp Anokijig is a powerful and enriching experience for these campers, but it also has a similar impact on the kids who live within a few hours of Anokijig.