Every year, when I am interviewing staff, invariably, the applicants talk about how they want to make a difference in the lives of our campers. I always think to myself “you have no idea how much you are going to grow and learn at Camp, as well” Take a look at what Mo has to say about her four summers with us. Her email gave me goose bumps and it is one of the reasons we do what we do.

Hi Jenn, 

 It is with a heavy heart that I write to you to confirm I will not be able to come back next summer. I have avoided saying the words for quite some time, but as 2017 looms, I knew it couldn’t wait any longer. I thought I would just share a few paragraphs with you about how much camp has meant to me. It’s finally become real now that I’m writing it down. 

Back in 2013, I remember thinking that three months outside of Ireland and away from home was too long. Now I’ve spent just under two years living in the States. That’s because TLW redefined ‘home’ to me. It’s not just a place you live or were born. It’s where you feel like you belong. It’s the people that make a place a home. And TLW has no shortage of unique people. 

Each year was special. Sometimes I’m able to define them by the counselors that were there, or the role I had, or even the color war teams that year. But mostly, I’ve been able to define each year by my campers. The crazy things they did, the heart-to-hearts we shared, the stories of how their year at school went, the trips, the Girls Sing songs, camper captains, culture night dances, when they started working, when they got their little sisters, the boys they liked, the sports they hated and what they were most looking forward to that summer. The laughs, the tears, the “go to sleep girls”  all down to that final camper alma mater. We were supposed to make their summer but they made mine. 

I learned more about myself at TLW than I ever have in a lecture. Every year professors and my parents told me how important an internship would be to get a graduate job. Every year I wondered if I was making a mistake going back, and putting off the real world. But I didn’t. Every interviewer was more interested in my time at camp than any work related activity. It made me different. All those posts on Facebook about how being a counselor teaches you more – they were right. And I still got my big bad world job. 

I’m incredibly lucky that I have four years worth of friendships from TLW. Those people are my go-to. Multiple group chats, reunions, random snapchats – camp friends really do make the best real life friends. And for those I don’t get to see or chat to during the year, I always knew that when we would stand outside the Main House again, it’d be like nothing changed, because we’d all be back in our favorite place. 

Lower, middle and upper camp experiences, from specialist ropes life to Group Leader, from pre-camp to Indian summer, from coaching my heart out to winning my one and only color war as a General – I feel there is some closure in ending the way it has. I get to end my counselor journey as my campers begin to embark on theirs. I can only hope that something in those four summers that the random Irish girl said or did, will be in their minds this summer as they shape themselves as a counselor. And I’ll be incredibly proud from afar. 

This email has turned out to be a lot longer than expected, but no words will ever be enough. Hopefully I’ll be back to visit, and maybe even send over a camper of my own one day, the first Irish maybe? Have to keep the ‘shower hour’ tradition alive. Haha. Thank you for absolutely everything. The guidance, the opportunity to progress in those four summers, and for making TLW feel like home. 

 TLW – To me, you made a difference and for that, I will forever be grateful. 

 Mo

Fall is a time for change, summer is fading into winter, the air is cooling and many plants become dormant. And if Fall is a time for change, November is a time to give thanks. We would like to thank the TLC Family of Camp members for its continued support in our endeavors to give back to our various camp communities.

This past summer our camp community came together and swam close to 7,000 laps, 6,872 to be exact, in one afternoon, for our annual Morry’s Camp Swim-A-Thon. Our swim-a-thon helps provide a fabulous summer camp experience for children who would not otherwise be able to attend a camp like Timber Lake West. It is your support that makes this event so successful for us. Thank you!

Our first Annual TLC Family Fall Festival was a raging success! Families from our three day camps: Hampton Country Day Camp, North Shore Day Camp, Southampton Club and Camp and our three sleep-away camps: Timber Lake Camp, Timber Lake West and Tyler Hill, along with our North Shore Day School families enjoyed a great day of rides, face painting, magic, a bar-b-que lunch, hayrides and a pick your own pumpkin patch. As part of this event we had a charitable component, in keeping with our STARFISH Values Program, the TLC Family of Camps donated $25 per family that registered for the event to one of these three charities: Autism Speaks, Crohns and Colitis or SCOPE, of the family’s choosing. We had 266 families select a charity and our TLC Foundation donated almost $7,000 on their behalf. Thank you!

It is exciting to be able to build upon our existing relationships and give back to the local community. Our organization has been working with three food pantries, the East Northport Food Pantry, Human Resources of the Hamptons and the East Hampton Food Pantry.

Every December, the TLC Family of Camps in conjunction with our Day School hosts a holiday drive. Most recently we have worked to collect a large variety of items for the East Northport Food Pantry who feed over 150 families a week. This all volunteer organization has no overhead and everything that comes into the pantry, is given back to those in families in need.

Southampton Club and Camp’s Gives Back Community Service Initiative was a summer food drive to the Human Resources of the Hamptons which operates one of the largest food distribution program on eastern Long Island with over 350 families enrolled.

For the past five summers, as part of Hampton Country Day Camp’s Helping Hands Community Service Initiative, HCDC families donated an unbelievable number of items to the East Hampton Food Pantry in their annual Food Drive.  This winter HCDC is providing a temporary, off-season “home-base” to the Food Pantry which delivers food to 300-400 families weekly in the winter!  Check out the Newsday article for more information!

From the TLC Family of Camps, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season and thank you for all of your support. May the warm memories of camp keep you smiling throughout the winter months.

Steve founded Play It Forward to serve as a web-based platform where musicians could sell their albums in exchange for charitable donations to non-profit organizations of their choice. Currently, musicians featured on the site are raising money for the Leukemia Research Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Feed the Children, among others.

We are excited to announce that TLC Family of Camps will be releasing an album of music written and recorded by ALL OF YOU! We are calling on all of our musically gifted parents, campers, and staff (past and present) to contribute original songs that they have written and recorded.  Eligible songs may be previously recorded or can be written specifically for this project. Professional production is not a requirement.

Once we receive all of the submissions, we will compile them into a TLC Family of Camps album. Proceeds from the album will be donated to SCOPE, a nonprofit that gives the gift of summer camp to children from low-income families at ACA-accredited sleepaway camps, in celebration of its 25^th Anniversary.

If you are interested in contributing a song, please e-mail Steve at steve@playitforward.com. And stay tuned – we will let you know as soon as the album is available for purchase/donation!

TLC FAMILY OF CAMPS:
*Timber Lake Camp * Timber Lake West * Tyler Hill Camp
*North Shore Day Camp * North Shore Day School
*Hampton Country Day Camp * Southampton Camp & Club

Timber Lake West parent, Jeff Ross, had every teenage sports fanatic’s dream job – producer for major sports networks. With over 20 years of experience at ESPN and NBC Golf Channel, Jeff had been at the helm of productions like Stanley Cup Final, Daytona 500, Olympics, and Super Bowl – with 3 Emmy® awards to boot!

But last year Jeff said goodbye to network sports – and also to great tickets for major sporting events – for which his two sons Paul and Jonny, a 3rd year West counselor and Teen 2 camper, respectively, are still mourning. Instead, Jeff opted to try his hand at a labor of love.

Jeff’s new venture is Reel Sports Productions – a production company that creates video resume reels for prospective prep school and college athletes.  He believes student athletes are so much more than the sum of their academic grades, stats, and team records. That is why Jeff loves working with these young athletes to help put a face on the stats and let their individual character and performance shine through.

Reel Sports combines home videos with video Jeff shoots himself, and then has the athlete ‘host’ their own reels.  The result is a small, convenient package that can be electronically blasted off to recruiters and coaches.

Check out Jeff’s videos or want to learn more!

And if you have a child who is interested in pursuing a career in sports broadcasting, feel free to have them reach out to Jeff for any questions or advice. You can contact him through his website or LinkedIn page.

TLC FAMILY OF CAMPS:
*Timber Lake Camp * Timber Lake West * Tyler Hill Camp
*North Shore Day Camp * North Shore Day School
*Hampton Country Day Camp * Southampton Camp & Club