After 23 years as Food Services Director at Camp Burgess & Hayward, Lois Adams hung up her apron, retiring this past December. Lois was truly a gift to camp, as so many campers, staff, parents, and alumni will attest. She made the camp experience possible for countless campers with food allergies and served as a motherly figure for staff and campers far from home. Congratulations to Lois on her well-deserved retirement. She will be missed by all! If you’d like to pass along any notes or well-wishes to Lois, please email them to camp@ssymca.org. Don’t worry, the dining halls are in good hands with our new Food Services Director, Chris Gigiel. Keep an eye out for our next newsletter to learn more about him.

Lois Adams (center), with VP of Camping Services Bruce Netherwood (left) and SSYMCA CEO Paul Gorman (right), at Lois’s retirement party.

Join us on Sunday, October 20th for Camp Burgess & Hayward’s Fall Festival & 5K fun-run. Runners and walkers will enjoy a scenic course looping around Spectacle Pond through both Burgess and Hayward. Non-run/walkers wanting to attend can sign up as attendees. A post-run harvest lunch will be served along with fun outdoor activities including the zipline, rock wall climbing, fall harvesting on the farm, and more! Come reunite with camp friends and staff, and enjoy an autumn day with us… all while raising money to support the Campership Fund which makes Camp Burgess & Hayward accessible for all! For more information on registration, sponsorship, or other ways you can help, contact Rebecca at rsalter@ssymca.org.

Want to get more involved with Camp Burgess & Hayward? We are always looking for volunteers and support. Email Rebecca for more information. To learn more about how you can support kids through the Campership Fund at any time of year, please visit our website.

This summer, Adventure Trips is thrilled to be sending a group of Camp Burgess & Hayward campers out west for the first time in nearly 20 years! Our Rocky Mountain Adventure group will begin their adventure at Camp Burgess’s Base camp, and then fly out to Colorado as a group. In Colorado, they’ll ride some awesome mountain biking trails, hike legendary mountains, and whitewater raft down the Colorado River! Stay tuned for more information regarding future new trips, for this popular and ever-expanding program.

Check out our websites for Camp Burgess & Hayward and South Shore YMCA events, activities, and programs.