Opening Day: A Kickoff to Summer

Posted by Melissa Fitzgerald on June 05

2.jpeg?ixlib=rails 2.1
5.jpeg?ixlib=rails 2.1
6.jpeg?ixlib=rails 2.1
3.jpeg?ixlib=rails 2.1
12.jpeg?ixlib=rails 2.1
15.jpeg?ixlib=rails 2.1
20.jpeg?ixlib=rails 2.1
19.jpeg?ixlib=rails 2.1

When the gates swung open at 8:30 this morning, Bryan’s voice came across the radio “The gates are open and here come the campers!” The cheers from the staff of 2022 were overwhelming! We have been preparing all week to meet the campers, and we were ready…ready for adventure, ready for friendship and ready for fun! And boy have we had a FUN first day of camp!

I loved seeing each family drive through camp this morning, and my heart was so full watching every smiling camper patiently wait to meet their counselors and run through the opening day tunnel. The tunnel has been a tradition at Camp Highlander for years, and I love the way it welcomes every camper, new or returning, into the Highlander family with a giant hug. The best part of the tunnel is what awaits every camper on the other side…new friends that will soon become family and new surroundings that will soon feel like home.

We are so incredibly grateful to each and every one of you for sharing your children with us. It is a gift that we will cherish for this session and for years to come. I look forward meeting you here each day and giving you a window into the magic of Camp Highlander.

0n9a4824.jpg?ixlib=rails 2.1
28.jpeg?ixlib=rails 2.1

Favorite Details of the Day

  • Weather: I have to start with weather because it was absolutley perfect! The sun was shining brightly all day with the clearest Carolina blue skies. There was the slighest breeze that whispered through the trees and cooled down our night. While the hot sun made the activities more fun and the pool even more refreshing, the cool breeze made the perfect backdrop for a warm campfire tonight.
  • Meals: We enjoyed our opening day tradition of grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch! Campers were excited to see that the salad bar and sandwich bar are back this year! For dinner we had delicious pot roast with carrots and potatoes, a mixed green salad with feta and strawberries, french green beans and homemade rolls. When the disco ball lit up at the end of dinner, we all danced the cupid shuffle and enjoyed some famous Highlander Mudslide for dessert! YUM!
  • EP: We started our session off with the opening campfire. This is one of Highlander’s oldest traditions, and campers and staff enjoyed dancing and singing to their favorite campfire songs.
17.jpeg?ixlib=rails 2.1
8.jpeg?ixlib=rails 2.1

About Melissa Fitzgerald

Melissa Fitzgerald

Melissa joined the Highlander family in 2002 and has served in a variety of roles, most recently becoming camp director in 2016 and camp owner in 2019. She lives on camp year-round with her husband (and fellow camp director/owner) Bryan, their rambunctious children - Charlie, Carter and Catherine - and their beloved family dogs, Roux & Lovey.