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When I was four years old, my uncle who lived with my family started a day camp. He took me to camp with him each day, I was the youngest camper. Two years later my parents moved to California. When we returned to Chicago four years later, I experienced an extremely challenging year. Adjusting to the more advanced school system was so difficult. I struggled in class constantly and found it tough to make friends and be accepted. By June, my self-esteem was gone and I was feeling very hopeless.
Finally, the school year ended and a magical thing happened. I was able to return to my uncle’s camp. From the moment my bus driver (who was also my counselor) picked me up, my life was transformed into a joyous celebration. It was this counselor, George LaBeau, who touched my heart, and I fell in love with camp. Although it wasn’t until I was in high school that I decided camping would be my life’s work, camp became a part of who I am during that very special summer.
To me, Banner is all about seeing the goodness and possibilities in people. The work we do has the possibility to be transformative in one’s life by creating a can-do attitude, developing social skills, caring for others and building a solid foundation for life relationships. This is the 45th year that my wife Helen and I have run Banner. I am proud that my family, my son Bradley and my daughter Stacy, plus my daughter-in-law Tanya, have chosen Banner as their careers. We are blessed to have a team of 30 professional Leadership teammates who implement our amazing program and serve our campers and families.
We are dedicated to creating a fun, growthful summer and an experience that will be cherished for a lifetime. We promise our camp families that we will be 100% responsive to all of your needs. We are committed to exceeding your highest expectations. Thank you for trusting us with your children.
Warmly,
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