Our volunteer appreciation trip on Saturday, August 5 was an absolute blast! All Sevadars had a fun-filled time at Central City Fun Park partaking in Arcade games, mini golfing, and bowling. Afterward, we ventured to Hawthorne Rotary Park for a burrito lunch and an afternoon of sports and games under the sun. To honour the dedication of all our Sevadars, each one received a certificate. For those who went the extra mile and attended both sessions, special gift cards were distributed with our deepest thanks. The day wrapped up at Dairy Queen as a perfect ending to a perfect day.

During Summer Camp, part of the daily schedule was Outdoor Recreational Activities (ORA). At this time, campers would participate in various activities such as watching Sikh videos, practicing Gatka, jumping in the bouncy castle, playing in the climbing park, and going on a slushy walk! ORA was a great time for campers to have fun and be outside in the sunshine!

This past week at Summer Camp, campers worked on their Sikh Activities which included the ਮਾਲਾ activity and the ਅਨੰਦਪੁਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ project! Campers got to practice Simran with their ਮਾਲੇ and take their ਅਨੰਦਪੁਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ projects home! During Punjabi class, teachers reviewed the ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ alphabet and fruits & vegetables in Punjabi with the campers. We look forward for the special days coming up this week of camp! 🌞

For the month of July, the GCY was led by Gursimar Kaur. Youth engaged in an insightful and eye opening discussion surrounding the topic of navigating through Sikhi in the Western world. Gursimar Kaur interacted with the youth by sharing personal experiences and challenges that they have encountered while as a Sikh in the West. The discussion was followed by an exciting game of Capture the Flag, samosa dinner, and ice cream sundaes!

During Session 2, campers have been listening to Sakhis about different Gursikhs everyday. One of these Gursikhs were Bhai Manjh Ji and campers held their hands above their heads to get a feeling of the heavy lumber they carried as part of their Seva. Campers have also been participating in new Sevas during Seva time such as ਜੋੜਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਸੇਵਾ, cleaning the Gurdwara Sahib, and ਪਰਸ਼ਾਦਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਸੇਵਾ!

Day 1 of Summer Camp Session 2 was a blast! Campers were signed in and headed up to Darbar sahib to listen Kirtan and the message of the day. Afterwards, campers spent time in their classrooms and the headed out for sports and games. The day ended off with yummy frozen treats!

On July 21, youth Sevadars joined together for the session 2 volunteer orientation. This 7-hour-long orientation helped Sevadars familiarize themselves with the Seva they will be doing during Summer Camp Session 2! Volunteers divided up into breakout groups where they were shown the different Sevas they will be doing. Sevadars also learned proper langar serving manners to ensure they are prepared to serve during pizza day. We appreciate the sevadars and their commitment to Summer Camp! 

The final two days of session 1 ended off with super fun special days! On day 8, campers participated in water day in which they navigated through a variety of water day stations. Water day concluded with a giant water fight involving campers, sevadars, and teachers! The last day of camp started with Sports Day, where campers took part in an assortment of sports & games. Afterwards, campers watched an inspirational movie about Bhai Taru Singh Jee! At the end of the day, campers got the chance to say goodbye to Babbu lion!

On day 5 of camp, campers delved into the inspiring story of Bhai Suthrey Shah during Sakhi time and completed their Anandpur Sahib Projects during Sikh activities. Campers were very excited to learn a new Shastar today, the marathi! During snack time, campers got to enjoy fresh, local blueberries!