Hi Bloggers, I need your help! Our very own Princess is hoping to get a new dog. She’s already found him…in fact, she’s already named him! It’s up to us to convince Shadow to let Princess take Tom-Lee home. How could anyone say no to that face?? Plus, Princess gives so much to Camp Keystone, don’t you think she deserves a little dog to fit in her hottest purse??

Leave comments for Shadow below and help us bring Tom-Lee home!!

Hi Bloggers! I just have a second but definitely wanted to check in about yesterday’s exciting ending to Color Wars! After a fantastic week of spirit, competitions, and fun, the Red Raptors were declared this year’s Color Wars champions with a win 2951 to 2941! A shocked crowd couldn’t believe it came down to just ten points, as the accounting offices of Klein and Swift reported.

What a great week for everyone! Ethan and Jake were honored as “Inspirational Campers of the Week” and both teams joined in the “YMCA” dance to put this year’s Color Wars in the history books!

Next week: Keystone Idol! Hope you’re practicing this weekend. Think I’ll do some singing in the shower. (:

One more thing: We need a name for our readers/bloggers. Any ideas?? Post comments and tell me what you think! (: nar

Honestly…as if it could get any better today?? We arrived with a spectacular treat from our counselors with the decorated pavilion, followed by a spectacular showing by Clover and Rock on Larry’s Log. Top that off with an incredible song challenge (go General Deezy), and today is what camp is made of!

I can’t wait for you all to experience tomorrow’s Field Riot! You haven’t seen anything yet! (: nar

ps. 178 comments for me to look through tonight…I’ll try and post them before I go to sleep!

Wow, it’s almost 10:30 and I just got home from camp! That’s right, for the last four hours your counselors have been decorating our pavilion, Color Wars style! Over fifty counselors showed up tonight to make our camp sparkle with blue and red! Why?? Well, I think it’s safe to say that Keystone has the BEST counselors around! I can’t wait for you all to see it in the morning!

Speaking of the BEST, do we have the best campers or what?? I just turned on my computer and was shocked to read 96 comments on the blog! A very cool Raptor named Jake had so much spirit for his team, he published over 50 comments himself! I think it’s safe to say that Jake wins the award for “Raptor of the Day!”

See you all tomorrow, hurry up and get back to camp! (: nar

Sky and Cooper showing their Blue Bolt pride!

Those of us who witnessed the unbelievable efforts of the Blue Bolts today couldn’t help but notice how successful their campers were this morning at the toothpaste challenge. I chatted with team member Cooper today (picture to come) and found out his secrets for success.

Nar: What did you think of the toothpaste challenge today Cooper?

Cooper: I thought it was easy! My team stole the 25 points away!

Nar: You must have a lot of experience with toothpaste Cooper.

Cooper: Nah, I hardly ever brush my teeth. I hate doing it!

Nar: <Gasp> Really Cooper, how often is “hardly ever?”

Cooper: Maybe four times a week! Only in the morning of course.

There you have it…while your dentist might not approve of the above conversation, whatever they’re doing I wouldn’t change! Go Blue Bolts!! (: nar

The Blue Bolts and the Red Raptors entered the pavilion with a swarm of energy, spirit, and good nature this morning as the Blue Bolts jumped ahead to a one day lead of 390 to 275. General Sky of the Bolts summarizes the day as “showing how strong our team is” while General Avalanche describes the Raptors as “off to a good start, getting our wheels going!” One thing for sure, Color Wars is off to a great start! Check back this week for lots of fun news and recaps!

Remember campers, leave a comment on the blog and get a five point bonus for your team. Be sure to include your name and color!

Have you voted on the Color Wars poll?? I can’t wait to see who becomes our “canvases” on Wednesday! (: nar

Fifteen cases, two contestants, and the possibility of winning a Toys R Us gift card for $1000 greeted campers arriving at camp this morning, and the action just got more exciting. Opening’s “Cupid Shuffle” had us all cracking up – did you see Polo “Walking it to himself”? As campers danced, Princess picked out the best “shuffler” to be our first contestant, and Izzy crossed her fingers all morning as she awaited her turn to crack the cases.

After dining on BBQ beef (and amazing potato salad), we were ready for our first contestant. Izzy confidently chose case #3, and after picking the first five cases was given a generous offer from the banker. “NO DEAL” the audience shouted, and Izzy couldn’t wait to respond to the offer. After more cases and a couple more phone calls from the banker (and one from MY mom), we were disappointed to find out that Izzy didn’t have the grand prize. Our first contestant walked away with three Pixy Stix and a big smile on her face! We added $500 to the grand prize and the audience gasped with expectation!

The afternoon session started with a raffle to determine the contestant, and Elliot raced to the stage to take the challenge. Elliot was a serious competitor and his strategy was to listen to the crowd’s wishes. Unfortunately for Elliot, luck wasn’t in his cards and he won “All you can eat leftover lunch!” Well, I did say the potato salad was good!

Tomorrow – Keystone’s Got Talent! Bring any equipment you need to show us your best! If the action is anything like today, we’re in for quite a competition! (: nar

With all that goes on during our days, what a great place this is to catch up on all the news and events at Camp Keystone! Welcome to all campers, parents, families, and friends! We’ll be posting all kinds of content and media to make your connection with the Keystone family even stronger, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back often. We’ll be able to relive the very best moments of camp and show everyone why Camp Keystone is the best camp in southern California!! (: nar

“I was born on the Keystone stage,” says ten year old Andrew M., one of six finalists in this week’s Keystone Idol contest. His performances have earned him the first ever “Camper Spotlight” recognition on the Keystone blog, and I was lucky enough to have a few minutes with this shining star.

Andrew, or “Moose” as his friends and fans know him, started singing at the young age of three, imitating Cher’s dance moves from the live DVD his parents played for him. While reinacting tours was his start, Andrew says his true love for singing came when he first hit the Keystone stage three years ago while in the Lava group. “I did a really sour job, but I still made it to the semi-finals,” Andrew explained, “I sang Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day.” Luckily, this early exposure to Keystone fame led Andrew to start singing lessons during the school year, which he still continues to this day. “Keystone Idol has been the inspiration for my singing career,” Andrew states, “It’s a great way for kids to show off their singing abilities.”

Andrew’s fame spills over into all aspects of his life, as this performer has been recognized outside of camp “at least thirty times” by fellow campers. He is a self-procliamed “hugger” and can often times be seen encouraging his fellow campers, even his fiercest competitors. Andrew has taken his skills on the road and is now working with a Turkish soap opera doing voice overs for American children. “The Moose” definitely has found his passion for entertaining an audience.

The competitive side of Andrew mentions CILT Diva as his biggest competitor, but is quick to say, “I’ve made a ton of great friends throughout the competition, and that’s the most important thing. I have a one-in-six chance of winning.” This modest talent goes out of his way to thank his friends and fans with every singing appearance. Andrew personifies the Camp Keystone spirit, and our stage is very lucky to have him.

The spirit of Friday’s Penny Carnival was captured perfectly by eight year old Erin S., winner of $107 in the 50/50 drawing, when she donated ALL of her winnings to Camp Harmony. “I already get to go to a great camp. Can I give this all to the kids who need help?” We couldn’t be more proud of Erin, she truly understands the meaning of helping others.

We are pleased to announce that Friday’s Penny Carnival was a huge success! Our attendance was over 600 campers and family members, all enjoying game booths our counselors and campers worked on all week. We feasted on cotton candy and ice cream, dunked our favorite counselors in the dunk tank, made carnival hats at the Mad Hatter, and cheered as the Crespi Celts were crowned this year’s “High School Singing Bee” champions.

All this fun and raising money for charity at the same time?? That’s right, thanks to the generous donations of money and time by our campers, parents, and counselors, we are able to present United in Harmony with a generous gift, close to $4,000!! This money will go towards Camp Harmony and will be used to help provide camping experiences to homeless children in Los Angeles. This is a monumental amount of money to be raised by our kids, thank you once again for supporting this wonderful cause!

Camp Keystone is filled with creative, intelligent, resourceful, and kind campers, which is why we developed the “Camp Council” to help make camp even more exciting! Ten campers were appointed to the council yesterday, and an election was held to choose the President of Camp Keystone.

We heard from our candidates in a “Town Hall” meeting, overwhelmed by their energy and grand ideas. Ben said he would attempt to, “Encourage more daytime activities like the Swim Carnival and the Penny Carnival,” while Ashkon declared, “It’s my first year at Camp Keystone, but I know it’s the most awesome camp ever. Nothing would make me happier than being your president.” Campers each voted in democratic style and when the votes were counted, Aubrey Golding was the kids’ choice by an overwhelming majority. “I am capable of helping kids have fun and do right,” Aubrey claimed, hoping to promote “more fundraisers for shelters for homeless and abused animals.” Congratulations to all of our new Camp Council members, and a special Keystone Congratulations to Aubrey, our new CAMP PRESIDENT!

As campers and counselors are getting ready with their game booths, our kitchen staff is getting ready with the snacks! On Friday, Camp Keystone kids, families, and friends will be able to feast on mouth watering popcorn, sweet and sticky cotton candy, and refreshing ice cream sandwiches and 50/50 bars throughout the carnival. And what’s even more exciting, the cost is only 75 cents an item, with all proceeds benefiting Camp Harmony. With only two days to go, there’s a lot to get done! Check back tomorrow for the announcement of some very special items being auctioned off at the carnival’s silent auction table. You won’t want to miss them!

That’s right, just three days to go until the Penny Carnival at Camp Keystonel! Campers, are you getting your booths ready?? Remember, all of the games cost only a penny the day of the carnival, so be sure to start collecting that change! Some of my favorite booths we’ll be seeing are the Mad Hatter, Makeover Booth, Jadeite Jail, and Fruit Bowling, just to name a few. Bring all of your friends and family to join us from 1:00 to 3:30 this Friday for the Penny Carnival! See you there!

It is important that as we lead our busy lives, we often stop to look at how very fortunate we really are. It’s easy to take our everyday freedoms, opportunities, family, and friends for granted in today’s fast moving world. Did you know that in the United States alone there is an estimated one million homeless children? Los Angeles is said to have the largest population of homeless kids in the country, with over one hundred thousand kids living on the streets. It makes me shudder to think about all those kids struggling for simple daily needs. 

 ”How wonderful is it that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”   -Anne Frank

That is just what we plan on doing this week at Camp Keystone, and we hope you’ll support us. 

Read more »

Friday concluded Keystone’s “Blast From the Past” week, and it sure did end with a treat! Over ten acts graced the creekside stage in our tribute to the 1969 music festival, Woodstock. Appropriately named “Keystock”, campers delighted in seeing some of their very favorite camper friends and counselors perform lip syncs, poetry, songs, and dances to hits of the era. Highlights included the Junior Camp campers and counselor acts, El Taco Grande and the Jadeites, the CILTS, KaBoom and Waves on the drums, and Sonny and Cher. A review of Keystock would definitely have to mention the show stealing energy of Tina and the Tinaettes, featuring our very own Nurse Pepto. Who knew those ladies could shake it so well? Keystock concluded with sets from two original bands, “Beef’s Butcher Shop” and “The Readers.” Vocalists Argy, Jojo, and Flash led our rock and roller campers through songs by the likes of Johnny Cash and The Rolling Stones. Thanks to all who made this terrific event such a success!

Speaking of major events, The Penny Carnival countdown is on! Just six days until the eighth annual Penny Carnival, so be sure to be collecting those pennies. Check back tomorrow for more details about Friday’s Penny Carnival!

Yesterday was another great day at Camp Keystone because our Camp Keystone family celebrated Nar Nar’s birthday. From Nar’s grand entrance on a Harley motorcycle to the afternoon celebration with the Keystone Rock Band playing “So It’s Your Birthday”, it was one of those very special days at Camp Keystone.

The 2008 Camp Keystone Color Wars winners are…THE RED BULLS! Congratulations to Generals Jojo, Mother Goose, and Sunshine on a well fought battle to the very end, with the point spread being less than 200 points!

All of us had a great week here at Keystone, no matter what team we were on. We’ll never forget the Field Day games, fashion show, slam dunk contest, Water Balloon Extravaganza, Crazy Hair contests, lots and lots of cheers, and fantastic sportsmanship from all our campers and counselors. It makes me proud to know all of our campers had such incredible character throughout all of the fun!
Read more »