50 Miles. 5 Days. One Big Campership Goal.

Each fall, a group of determined alumni and staff lace up their boots and hit the trail for one simple reason: to make sure every camper has the chance to grow, challenge themselves, and discover their potential, just like they did. It started as a staff idea! A fun way to raise money for camperships while revisiting the trails that …

Alumni Spotlight: Phil Pickard

Interview by Hadley Robinson CAMP ERA: 2005-2018 (Counselor, Program Director, Voyageur Division Leader, Bush Division Leader, Trip Shack Director) Phil Pickard first came to Hayo-Went-Ha as a counselor, and his enthusiasm and energy were a natural fit for the job. He was on ad staff for many years and spent several off seasons with camp’s environmental education program too. Like …

Introducing Mackenzie Morison – Our new Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha Camp Director

We are thrilled to announce the hiring of Mackenzie “MackMo” Morison as the new Girls Camp Director at YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps – Arbutus Lake! MackMo has a deep and personal connection to Hayo-Went-Ha, starting as a camper in 2007 at Camp AHWH and progressing through various staff leadership roles. Most recently, she served as Wilderness Camp Director at YMCA Camp Hi-Rock in Massachusetts, where …

Keepers of the Flame Campfire Chat

We’re thrilled to share that our 2024 Campfire Chat on Tuesday, December 3rd, was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special virtual gathering. If you missed it, don’t worry—you can still catch all the inspiring moments in the recording! During the event, we: This event, held on Giving Tuesday, perfectly aligned with our Kindness Spreads …

Go Blue, Go Green, Go Hayo-Went-Ha Camps

Another great tailgate! Over 55 alumni stopped by the annual HWH Camps Tailgate. A huge thank you goes out to Vicki and Kent DesJardins for allowing us to use their car space. See you all next year in East Lansing!

Grant Writing Win-Win

Hi, everyone! My name is Emily Gibson (or Gibbo), and I was a camper at Arbutus from 2006-2012, and a staff member from 2012-2015. I currently work as a consultant with the Michigan Small Business Development Center, and I am completing my Masters degree in Nonprofit Administration at Central Michigan University. As soon as I returned from the amazing Alumni …