Greetings from Camp Anokijig.

Hopefully you’re having a safe and happy memorial day weekend with your family. You know, I’ve stood to make announcements in this lodge over the last 35+ yrs; I don’t know how many times. But never to make an announcement like this one. For the last 94 years Anokijig has been driven by the desire to serve the needs of our campers and those needs of community, connection, activity, outdoor experience, and positive values are even more important as I stand before you here today. That makes deciding how and if we can fulfill that mission for the summer of 2020 while still keeping everyone as safe as we always have, a very difficult task. However, I’ve found over my years that gathering the best people together looking at the best resources, and weighing multiple options will usually provide a pretty good appropriate decision

In recent updates I have stated that we would be determining the status of opening our summer 2020 program based on guidance from the American Camp Association and CDC, the  state of Wisconsin, and local authorities. Over the last 8 days that list of guidance has finally landed on our desks from all of the sources involved.

After exhaustive review of those sets of guidelines we have come to some difficult and unfortunate decisions but also come to some that have a glimmer of hope. First, due to multiple factors we will not be able to open our Summer 2020 season as originally scheduled. Given the details and criteria put forth by the current guidelines we don’t believe that our programming would meet the conditions to allow us to welcome campers June 14^th. So it is with heavy hearts we have decided that Sessions #1 and #2 will need to be cancelled for the 2020 Season.

That being said, we have not given up hope to have a 2020 summer season. Our talented and dedicated staff are working tirelessly to develop a program, policies, and procedure’s that will meet the new guidelines so that we may be able to open for sessions 3 and beyond. At that time our county is expected to be in a different advance phase of their opening and it should be safer to go forward with those programs. I have great faith that our team of full and seasonal staff, that they can draw on the wealth of experience that they have and their passion to create just such a program. That program likely will look vastly different from our normal Anokijig program, without a doubt. We’ll have to run that program probably at least through mid-summer if not further, and it may not be able to serve as quite many campers as we’ve been able to in the past, but it’s being developed with a keen eye to safety and as much of the Anokijig experience, albeit adapted, as the restrictions will practically allow to be able to slide in. It is our organizations belief that it is our duty to do all we can to offer a program that will give as many kids as possible an opportunity to experience at least just one  week of the relief and respite that a camp stay could give in these stressful times.  We will announce more details of this temporary new program prior to June 13^th. One we more of the details worked out. All registered campers and staff will receive an email this weekend describing any final decision that have been made relating to your registered weeks, or registered program. We do know already that adventure tripping, and day tripping programs will not be for this summer, (because we don’t believe we can safely) and we have to examine several of our other specialty programs to see if we can make them run.  We ask for your patience as we work through this developmental process.

So what does that all mean to you. If you were registered for sessions 1 or 2 we will ask that you visit the online page that is being emailed to you this weekend and is in the transcript of this update on our website. https://www.anokijig.com/webforms/camper-covid-19-cancellation.  On that page you will be able to communicate to our office staff how you would like to move forward with your registrations and your fees. You’ll basically have four options to choose from. The first option would be to:

1. Move your registration to the top of the waiting list for open spots in later sessions of 2020. Session 1 and 2 campers will be given priority in filling any open slots if other people cancel.
2. Credit your 2020 registration deposits and fees to reserve a position in 202. And be ready to come back next year.
3. Cancel your 2020 registration and receive a full refund of any monies paid.
4. Cancel your 2020 registration and receive a partial refund of your choice and make a donation of the balance to the Anokijig Sustaining Fund.

In these times and under these conditions Anokijig will need more support to help to keep it vibrant

If you are registered for sessions 3-9 you will get an email this weekend that will give you some information but we ask you to hang tight and keep in touch with us for future information as it develops as to what we can do going into July and into August. We will make announcements on the website and by email to keep you posted for those things. We know that this is not the news you had hoped for, and definitely not news that anyone ever imagined would come from my mouth. Please know that this decision does not come lightly but is informed by an extreme concern for safety coupled with our need to meet current local regulations, and for our immense great desire to provide people, to provide kid that life changing experiences even just one week of Anokijig has been known to give. We will continue to reevaluate our situation over the next weeks of 2020 and keep you informed on where we are at. So please stay tuned.  As I’ve said before if you have questions please feel free to call or email.

As I’ve said at other updates. I ask the you stay positive, help others wherever you can, and keep that Flame of Anokijig spirit burning bright, wherever you go. Those that have been at camp over the last 20 years know that at the end of the candle ceremony we look into that candle and see ourselves back at camp, if you get a chance, light a candle, looking that flame, and picture yourself back here having a great time, because it will happen again. It will happen because the Anokijig Spirit will make it happen.

Please have great day, stay safe, we hope to see you back at Anokijig real soon.