Protecting Campers

Camper safety is our top priority at Anokijig and that includes protecting our campers and staff from swine flu. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently ran a story about steps being taken to protect the public against the spread of H1N1 influenza. You can read the entire story here- http://www.jsonline.com/features/health/48563372.html

When the JS interviewed Jim Scherer, what they found was that Anokijig had long ago implemented standard practices to help prevent the spread of contagious diseases. We weren't prompted to do so by any specific outbreak, but because we understand that thousands of families put their children in our care every year and it is our responsibility to look after them like they are our own.

Some of our standard practices include mandatory physicals for all campers and staff prior to arriving at camp, encouraging campers to wash their hands before every meal and requiring that they wipe their hands with Germ-X, prior to going through our food lines.

We also make sure campers don't sleep "head to head" in cabins and tents and suggest that when they need to sneeze, that they cover their mouths with the inside of their elbows, instead of their hands. We have other additional measures in place and realize that even with all of those precautions, there's still a chance that someone could pass something to someone else. That's just the world we live in and unless someone locks themselves in a sterile room, there will always be some inherent risk of interacting with our fellow man.

We do our best to implement reasonable practices that may not eliminate all risks, but will significantly reduce them, while allowing kids to have the time of their lives!

Anokijig Alumni Wins at Le Mans!

The Corvette GT1 race team recently won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in France. While the drivers of these amazing race cars usually receive most of the credit and accolades, we are particularly proud of the Corvette team's Crew Chief, Dan Binks (pictured with hand over heart).

Dan is a former Anokijig camper and his children are third generation Anokijig campers. Dan's father, Phil, is also an Anokijig alumni and the entire Binks clan and Pratt & Miller Racing have been great supporters of Anokijig over the years.

We are very proud of Dan and his entire Compuware Corvette C6.R race team (can't forget to plug the sponsors). If you'd like to read more about the race, please follow this link- http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=332487&FS=ALMS-LEMANS

Summer Camp is Offically Underway!

Camp Anokijig's summer camping season is offically underway! As this is post is being typed, campers are whooping it up at the first of nine Wednesday night dances of the 2009 camping season.

Although our registration numbers have not kept pace with the record year we enjoyed in 2008, they are still very strong and some programs and weeks are either sold out or close to it.

If you haven't registered your child yet, there is still time to do so. In fact, you can click on this link to do just that- http://anokijig.com/2009%20web%20registration%20form.aspx

We hope to see you at Anokijig this summer!

The Lake Country Rotary Club's Audacious Beer Celebration

Over the past several years, Camp Anokijig has benefitted from the generosity of many different service organizations, who recognize the great things Anokijig does for children and families from their communities. Many of these organizations put on fundraisers throughout the year, which allows them to support worthy causes such as ours.

Recent examples of such fundraisers include the Racine Rotary Founders' Club Casino Nite event and the Racine Kiwanis Pancake Day. One of the service organizations we've been meeting with recently is the Lake Country Rotary Club and we're hoping they will also get involved in supporting Camp Anokijig's wonderful programs.

On June 26th and 27th, the Lake Country Rotary Club will be hosting their third annual Audacious Beer Celebration, where participants (of legal drinking age) can experience 177 of the world's finest brews. You can find out more information on this event, by visiting this link- http://www.audaciousbeer.com/

We're hoping this event will be a great success for the Lake Country Rotary Club and will allow them to continue supporting many worthy causes.

Congratulations Brandon Malacara!

Camp Anokijig is proud to announce that one of our favorite volunteers, Brandon Malacara has been named to ¡Aquí! Milwaukee's List of Top 10 Leaders Under 30. ¡Aquí! Milwaukee sees this elite group of bright and active Latinos as poised to be future leaders amongst Southeastern Wisconsin's Latino/Hispanic community. You can read the entire article here- http://www.aquimilwaukee.com/_content/coverstory/story_4639.aspx

Brandon has been a long-time volunteer at Anokijig and has been particularly invaluable in assisting me on several projects relating to Anokijig in the past few years. We're certainly proud to claim him as yet another outstanding product of Anokijig's youth leadership program.

This program helps young people develop a variety of skills that extend well beyond basic leadership. When Brandon's boss says he, "has the maturity of someone who is a seasoned professional and possesses the ability to learn and understand complex issues," we know that background comes in part, from his years spent at Anokijig. The challenge of managing a cabin full of children and the wide variety of issues they may contend with during a typical week at Anokijig helps prepare all our staff for the future challenges that lie ahead.

While many young professionals may go to seminars covering mediation and conflict resolution or take additional coursework on interpersonal relationships, Brandon has already had the benefit of years of hands-on experience in these areas at Anokijig. The best thing about Anokijig's Junior Leadership Program, is that we offer this invaluable program free of charge.

Many camps charge hundreds of dollars per week for similar programs, but Anokijig believes these life skills are too important to be limited to those who have the ability to pay a fee for them. After all, Anokijig's motto is, "We Serve" and we cherish the opportunity to help develop and influence future generations of leaders and people who are viewed as assets to the communities they live and work in.

We know Brandon isn't the only Anokijig alumni who is doing great things in their community. If you know of another alumni, whose accomplishments deserve recognition, drop me a line and let me know- jimmcilvaine@aol.com

Anokijig is Starting To Fill Up!

The opening week of Anokijig's summer camping sessions is now just a few weeks away and Camp is buzzing with activity as summer staff begin to arrive and training sessions ramp up.

This is also the time of year, where many families make a mad dash to reserve spots at Anokijig, while there are still spots to be had. The good news is that there is still room left in Anokijig's resident camp, but it might not last much longer. The last six weeks of Anokijig's summer camp (July 5th-August 15th) have historically been very popular with summer campers and this year is no exception.

Weeks five and eight still have room, but that may not last much longer. There is only one spot left for Ranch Camp in Week 8 and Mini-Camp in week 8 is close to capacity as well. Mini-Camp is also filling up in weeks 4 & 6, but if you call Camp soon at 920-893-0782, you can still reserve a space. Circle A Riders Camp is also close to filling up in Week 6.

Our Competitive Swim camp in Week 4 is completely full and our Stamper program is completely sold out for the entire summer, with the exception of a few spaces in Week 1. If you wait too long, you may not get your first choice for weeks or programs, but there are still other camping options available.

Last weekend's Taste of the Outdoors event was a huge success and many families heard about Anokijig's new family camping weekend at the end of August. Our Memorial Day, Labor Day and Fall Colors weekends have many repeat campers, who book early, but our August Get-Away weekend is in it's first year, so there are plenty of spaces available. For more information on family camping, you can visit Anokijig's web site here- http://www.anokijig.com/09family.htm

An Anokijig-Style Open House

About four years ago, Camp Anokijig was hosting "open houses," but they were very different than the ones we host today. Back in 2005, realtors brought land developers and speculators in to size up Anokijig for various construction projects that had nothing to do with camping, kids or the great outdoors.

Although we are not very far-removed from those days, Anokijig is now hosting a much different open house, one that celebrates all the great things Anokijig has been since 1926 and continues to be well into the 21st Century. This weekend Anokijig will host their Annual "Taste of the Outdoors" event, which is our own version of an open house, except the only thing we're trying to sell is a great time in the great outdoors.

Our doors will be open from 11AM until 4PM on Saturday and 9:30AM until 3PM on Sunday and we'll be serving up an all-you-can-eat buffet the entire time. Admission is just $8 for campers 13 and older and $5 for campers 4-12 (campers 3 and under are always free). All of our program areas will also be open for visitors to enjoy, including boating on Little Elkhart, archery, arts & crafts, archery and pony rides. If you've never been to Anokijig before, but you've always been curious about what it entails, this weekend is the perfect time to visit. If you're an alumni (either camper or counselor) of Anokijig and you'd like to come back and remember some great times, we're waiting for your visit.

If you're thinking about sending your child to Anokijig, but you'd like a closer look, come on up. If you're a parent on the East Coast, who couldn't get their child into one of those $1,000/week summer camps out there and you're looking for alternatives, we'll even offer complimentary round-trip shuttle service from the Milwauke airport*

Anokijig is also using this weekend to help our local food pantry. We will be raffling off five family weekend packages and each non-perishable food item our guests donate to the food pantry is good for one raffle ticket (they can also be purchased, in case you forget to bring food).

As always, if you have any questions about this weekend or Camp Anokijig in general, you can always call our camp office directly at 920-893-0782. We hope to see you this weekend!

*Offer good only for parents or guardians of camper-age children, who have sent their children to $1,000+ week East Coast camps in the 12 months and are flying to and from Wisconsin specifically and exclusively to tour Anokijig for the same purpose.

Could Changes in Tax Law Impact Anokijig?

When the Obama Administration released their budget proposals earlier this year, one area caught many non-profits (including Camp Anokijig) by surprise. It was a plan to limit the deductions that some individuals and couples could claim on their charitable gifts. While this change would not affect most of Anokijig's donors, it could impact most of Anokijig's donations. How could this be the case?

The proposed changes in the tax law would only impact taxpayers in the very top tax brackets, so it's a relatively small percentage of individuals. However, this small percentage of individuals accounts for a big percentage of giving. For many years, non-profits have recognized an "80/20 trend." This trend recognizes that 80% of an organization's donations come from just 20% of their donors (some groups see this percentage trending closer to 90/10). As Anokijig has moved into it's fourth season as an independent camp, we have also witnessed this trend emerge in our own donor base.

While this 20% segment of our donors are very likely to be impacted by this proposed change in legislation, the degree to which this might influence their giving to Anokijig and other non-profits is unknown. Some estimates put figures as low as a 1.2% decrease in giving, but even that number is a significant amount for Anokijig's bottom line.

Fortunately, this provision didn't have much support in either the House or Senate and both groups left it out of their respective budget resolutions, which are the blueprints for tax and spending bills to be taken up by Congress. That doesn't mean this idea is dead and we could see it surface again in future legislation. Keep your fingers crossed that we don't hear about any future tax proposals involving non-profits, unless they encourage giving.

Are Anokijig's Family Camps Too Good To Be True?

Last night, Milwaukee's TMJ4 did a feature on affordable family vacations, highlighting Camp Anokijig's family weekend camps. In case you missed it, you can see all of it here- http://www.todaystmj4.com/features/onyourside/45781887.html

In the story, they claimed a family of four could enjoy a weekend at Anokijig for about $325. Is that accurate or is it too good to be true? The truth is, a family of four can enjoy a weekend at Anokijig for even less than that and that includes all of your meals!

Rates for our Fall Colors weekend start at just $84 for campers 13 & older, $79 for campers 4-12 years old and campers under 3 years old are always free. Program Director, Darin Holden, describes Anokijig family camps as "a rustic camping version of an all-inclusive resort." All meals are served buffet-style in beautiful Western Lodge and campers are always welcome to come back for seconds (and even thirds).

There are no fees of any kind for our waterfront area, so campers don't have to worry about getting a sailboat or paddleboat back within an hour or risk incurring additional charges. Our archery and pellet gun range are also free of charge and if kids want to spend all afternoon shooting at targets, they're more than welcome to do so.

Our arts & crafts area does charge nominal fees to cover the cost of the supplies of some crafts, but a family of four can spend hours painting in the arts & crafts building, without spending a dime. Our horse rides also have nominal fees attached to them, but Anokijig's private trail system is second to none in the area and our rates (like everything else at Anokijig) are very reasonable.

For more information on our family camping weekends, please visit our website- http://anokijig.com/09family.htm

If you're not sure about committing to an entire weekend, come on up for the day and check us out! Our Taste of the Outdoors Country Breakfast & Family Fun Day is coming up May 30th & 31st. It's an all-you-can-eat extravaganza and all the program areas will be open as well. You can get all the information you need on Anokijig's Taste of the Outdoors here- http://anokijig.com/Country%20Breakfast%20flyer%2009.pdf

Thank you TMJ4 for visiting us and we hope to see you all soon!

Anokijig Makes Another TV News Appearance and Additional Family Weekend Announced

UPCOMING ANOKIJIG NEWS FEATURE
FRIDAY MAY 22ND - WTMJ CHANNEL 4 MILWAUKEE - 10:00 PM

WTMJ4 cameras were recently at camp to file a story about affordable family vacations. Several interviews with our guests from Blakewood School in Milwaukee as well as with our Director Jim Scherer were conducted to help tell our story. There were also some great camera shots of our Voyageur canoes in action from the Allegheny electric launch as well as a tour of our great facilities and a chance to see our some of our staff (Scott Mabie, Heidi Mabie, and Don Hill) and guests in outdoor education action.

Our family weekends are one of the best affordable family activities that you can find anywhere.Each year we offer 3 weekends to choose from Memorial Day, Labor Day, Fall Colors.

This year we've opened an additional new weekend for families called the August Get-Away. This will be a Fri-Sun event August 28th-30th. We are currently taking registrations for all of these weekends, but they're going fast. Check out our Family Camp page at 09family.htm for all of the information and register at 2009 family web registration form.htm

Be Sure to check out the report on Friday the 22nd to see a great visit to Anokijig.

If you miss the report it will be available on the WTMJ website for your viewing pleasure. We'll be sure to put up a link as soon as we get it.

What Makes Anokijig Different?

ABC news recently ran a story about camps being "recession-proof." In the story, it talks about parents making sacrifices to ensure their children have an opportunity to attend camp. These parents clearly understand the profound and positive impact a camping experience can have on the development of their children.

The story did make me contemplate how the environment at Camp Anokijig is different from what children normally experience and even how Camp Anokijig is different from other camps. The absence of technology is one big difference. Kids at Anokijig don't text, twitter, e-mail or phone their friends, they talk to them. If they can't find their friend, they can't page them or google them, but they can walk around and look for them.

Kids at Anokijig don't play video games by themselves, they play real games with other real people. They don't watch TV either, although they may check out a few skits by a campfire.

Kids at Anokijig also don't play soccer, baseball, tennis, golf or any number of other "stick and ball" sports, that they can play at home. They ride horses, sail boats, paddle canoes, catch fish, shoot pellet guns and arrows, make arts & crafts and do a lot of other things they don't do at home. Those activities might also differeniate us from many other camps.

Anokijig doesn't have manicured lawns, paved roads, concrete playgrounds, air-conditioned cabins with Internet access or chlorinated swimming pools and they're not on our "wish list" either, although some paved roads in spots might be nice. Whenever we're not at Anokijig, we're surrounded by all that stuff and we enjoy getting away from it. We have grassy meadows and lush forests, gravel roads and dirt trails, scatterball games in the parade grounds, tents and cabins that allow you to enjoy your natural surroundings, not isolate you from them. We have a beautiful lake and island, that is big enough for kids to explore and feel like they've gone on an adventure, but not so big that we have to limit our camper's access to it, for fear of jetskis buzzing our paddleboaters.

There are a lot of great camps that offer plenty of modern faciliies and ammenities and as far as we're concerned, they can keep 'em (and their $1,000+/week pricetags). We would rather offer our campers experiences and activities that they probably won't get anywhere else. Many of our campers enjoy Anokijig, because they recognize it as a real vacation from schedules that are jam-packed with after-school activities and sports.

Finally, we think our staff makes Anokijig different. We know every camp will claim their staff is "the best" and we're no exception. Our nine full-time staff members give their heart and soul to Anokijig every day and we're not just talking about our nine weeks of summer camp. Anokijig doesn't have a winter address or a business office in another city. We never close and we always have staff on premises. Several of our staff members even live on-site and have been there for more than 25 years. They know Anokijig like the back of their hand and when someone or something is not where it's supposed to be. We're glad they're there, keeping the Anokijig spirit alive!