Week 1–POTH, County Fair and so Much More!

campwingateweb
Jul 7, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Jul 7, 2025

We just wrapped up an incredible first week! The campers and staff are all in and loving every minute!

We started things off with our “Dress Your Counsellor” contest that rolled right into POTH (Puttin’ on the Hits)—one of the most amazing camp traditions we have. It brings out unbelievable bunk spirit, and 2025 was one of the best POTHs yet. The show was incredible! It’s always impressive to see what the campers and staff manage to pull together in just 36 hours. Bunks 9 and 12 took the crown, with Bunk 8 right behind and Bunk 1 close in third. You can watch the full show below.

Despite some rain this week, campers stayed busy with canoeing, kayaking, archery, general swim, a&c, cooking, hockey, wiffle ball, beach volleyball and plenty of time on the Blob. On Friday, the Juniors had the best time at messy day with a slip ‘n slide, shaving cream battles, and paint everywhere. That night, we welcomed shabbat with singing and dancing at flagpole, followed by our Friday night program where we gave out our first set of Core Value awards.

Saturday’s Sing Song was packed with spirit! And just when you thought the weekend couldn’t get better, Sunday brought our first ever County Fair—cotton candy, bouncy inflatables, face painting, a petting zoo and a full-on foam party at the beach made for an amazing day!

Camp is buzzing with energy, and we’re so excited to dive into everything week two has in store!

Inside This Issue

Weekly Video

Our first full week was packed with everything that makes Wingate unforgettable—bunk spirit, Blob time, and nonstop energy from POTH and Messy Day to Shabbat, Core Awards, and the County Fair.

POTH Performances

Watch the full 2025 POTH performances below and see for yourself the creativity, energy, and bunk spirit that make this tradition such a highlight of the summer.

Bunk 1

Bunk 2

Bunks 3 & 14

Bunk 4

Bunk 5

Bunk 6

Bunk 7

Bunk 8

Bunks 9 & 12

Bunk 16

Bunk 17

Bunk 18

Bunk 19

Juniors this Week

We had an incredible week in the Junior Section! We started off the week strong with lots of laughter during our hilarious “Dress Up Your Counsellor” activity, which had campers and staff in stitches. That same night brought one of the most exciting announcements of the summer—POTH.

We celebrated Canada Day on July 1st, a day filled with camp-wide festivities, Canada-themed sweet treats, a photo booth, and an unforgettable fireworks show to end the night. Two days of rehearsal paid off when all the Juniors gave incredible POTH performances and made us all so proud. This week, all the Junior campers and staff had one of the messiest afternoons—Messy Day! From shaving cream to paint, our campers embraced every minute of it.

We ended the week with a County Fair, featuring face painting, a foam party on the beach, heaps of inflatables, a petting zoo, and all the treats you can imagine—popcorn, popsicles, and cotton candy galore! It’s been a big, action-packed week full of joy, connection, and unforgettable memories. We are so proud of our Junior campers, and we can’t wait to see what next week brings.

Warmly,

Laura

Inters this Week

This past week has been full of fun, and campers are having an absolute blast! Canada Day was a hit, with the Bunk 11 boys kicking things off in a pudding-eating competition, followed by General Swim and a Canada Day-themed dinner. We wrapped up the evening with an amazing fireworks show on the beach!

Wednesday night was our annual POTH competition! The two days leading up to it were spent with each bunk practicing and creating their acts. Every bunk did an incredible job, but special congratulations to Bunks 9 and 12 for taking first place!

Thursday was packed with activities like tennis, pottery, and General Swim. Friday featured gymnastics, ball hockey, and rock climbing, and we ended the day with Shabbat dinner and a Friday night program. This week’s theme was gratitude. Campers and staff received awards based on Wingate’s core values—growth, community, and fun—and one of our staff members gave a sermon reflecting on the theme.

Saturday was filled with adorable sibling photos and activities like cooking, archery, and baseball. We ended the day with everyone’s favorite evening activity: Sing Song!

Sunday brought the County Fair! We had a foam party on the beach, bouncy castles, cotton candy, and popcorn on the Lower Field, and a petting zoo on the Upper Field. It was such a fun day!

We’ve had a great week in the Inter Section and can’t wait for all the fun we have in store for next week!

Warmly,

Daniela

Seniors this Week

What a week we had in the Senior Section! The kids have settled in and are loving life at camp. We kicked off the week with some great Canada Day festivities and enjoyed a nighttime fireworks show on the beach. We headed right into POTH prep, where all bunks did an incredible job on Wednesday night at the POTH finals. Congrats to Bunk 8 and Bunk 1 for snagging second and third place!

Friday saw many of our campers participating in inter-camp during the day and our first full Friday night program, where we gave out our Core Value Awards to campers and staff who embodied our core values of community, growth, and fun. The Seniors had a busy weekend with Sing Song, County Fair, Leagues, and an epic shaving cream fight!

We had a great week, and we’re just getting started! We can’t wait for Week 2!

Jared & Lainey