ASCCA Fall Family Weekend 2018

ASCCA Fall Family Weekend comes every fall season at the end of October, and it is a great opportunity to reconnect with friends after an incredible summer. This year’s weekend was nothing short of spook-tacular! Check-in was set to begin on Friday at 4:00 p.m., so staff and volunteers arrived early to prepare for all the exciting activities that we had planned. As soon as check-in started, campers and parents came flooding into the gym ready to sign in with nurses and connect with counselors.

Once everyone was settled into their cabins, it was time for a yummy, country fried steak dinner provided by the ASCCA Kitchen Staff. Full bellies made for energetic spirits, and the night was still young. Friday night’s evening program led us all to the OutPost for a Halloween themed hangout and candied treats. Then, the trek back to the cabins had a special twist as a haunted trail was setup around camp with clowns, ghouls, and unicorns waiting in the dark. Campers and staff were split into groups of four and five as they made the trip, and those who weren’t interested in the trail had the opportunity to head back early.



There was quite a bit of anticipation at breakfast Saturday morning as groups were set to rotate through six different programs including zipline, archery, arts & crafts, cooking class, nature, and fishing. After breakfast, everyone met with their groups in the gym, so that the program staff could catch up with each activity’s respective group. Each rotation lasted approximately an hour, so each group was able to complete three programs before lunch.

After lunch, we all took a 45-minute break for a rest period before venturing back out for three more program rotations. There were many familiar faces here this weekend, but we were also joined by a few new campers and their families. Everyone had the opportunity to do an activity they enjoy like our usual adventure and outdoor education programs, but this weekend’s arts & crafts and cooking class included special Halloween themes. At arts & crafts, everyone was given a pumpkin to paint however they liked, and we ended up with a wide variety of designs including a special pumpkin tribute to the Sweet Tea Trio and football themed pumpkins. At cooking class, each group was led through the process of making Halloween trail mix with ghost poop (mini marshmallows), witches broom sticks (pretzel sticks), pumpkin poop (cheese balls), and more.

The activity everyone was waiting for came Saturday night. It was the infamous costume party and Halloween dance! Campers, families, and volunteers arrived at dinner wearing their favorite Halloween costumes and were ready to BOOgie the night away. Halloween musical hits like Thriller were played throughout the dance with a few popular hits thrown in to keep the crowd energized. There were even festive treats for everyone to enjoy on a table in the back of the dining hall that were donated by the staff from Lee OBGYN in Auburn. At the end of the night, staff members nominated five costumes to be in the running for Best Costume, and then from there, campers and volunteers cheered for the one they liked the most. The decision was based on the volume level of crowd cheers.

As the crowd cheered and chanted, the ASCCA staff deliberated, and three campers were chosen to receive first, second, and third place prizes in this year’s costume contest. The third-place winner was Ricky Parker who came dressed as a jail bird on the loose. Our second-place winner was Reagan Bush who dressed as the Pink Power Ranger and didn’t miss a single detail in the costume. Finally, our first-place winner for Best Costume was Christina Brown for her homemade Captain America costume, and she didn’t skip a patriotic beat with all the stars and shields she included in her outfit.

Sunday morning arrived far too fast, but breakfast was not the last activity of the day. The schedule included one of our most beloved programs, a talent show. Each camper signed up to perform their favorite song, and our morning was full of popular country songs, gospel hits, Halloween theme songs, and much more. We could not think of a better way for such a great weekend to end than connecting back together at the OutPost as one big group to celebrate everyone’s talents. Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, and donated to make this a fang-tastic weekend! Fall Family Weekend 2018 was certainly a weekend to remember, and you can check out more moments from the weekend here.

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