Dear Sunny Skies Families,

It is with great sadness that we have made the very difficult decision that we will not be able to operate Sunny Skies in 2008. During 2007, we searched the local area in hopes of finding a new home for camp. We have visited and evaluated locations that included schools, a university, local parklands and private properties. We've looked at ways in which we could change our program to fit different sites and ways in which different sites could fit our program; but in the end we have been unable to secure a suitable location. After so many years of pouring our hearts and souls into camp, we are all deeply saddened by this outcome.

When we purchased Sunny Skies Day Camp in 1993, we looked forward to creating another very special place for children to experience the joys of summer camp. We modeled the Sunny Skies philosophy after the Camp Kinneret Day Camp philosophy, which Harold and Ryan have been a part of for many years. It was our hope that one day we would be able to purchase the Sunny Skies property from the founding owner and that Sunny Skies would have a permanent home. Unfortunately, by the time he was finally ready to sell, property values in the area had escalated beyond our reach.

No one is more saddened by this outcome than we are. For Jeff and Harold and our families, Sunny Skies has been a huge part of our lives for 15 years; and for Ryan, it had been his life for camp's last two years. Sunny Skies today is the product of our collective years of hard work as well as the work and dedication of the wonderful staff members who joined us throughout the years. Seeing it end is difficult; however, we take some comfort in knowing that it has provided wonderful camp experiences for thousands of children during our 15 camp seasons.

While this was a difficult change, Jeff is focusing his year round efforts in our science and nature curriculum company. Ryan has returned to Camp Kinneret where he started, to join Harold as a Director.

During the summer of 2008, our sister camp, Camp Kinneret, welcomed many Sunny Skies staff members as well as many Sunny Skies campers. Although the sites are quite a bit different, the program and philosophies are identical. After all, Sunny Skies' approach to camp was based on the Camp Kinneret philosophy!

In closing, we want to thank you for the confidence and trust that you have placed in us over the years. When we got to Sunny Skies in 1993 there was a lot of work to do. The Sunny Skies of today is a product of that work and together with our wives and families who supported our efforts throughout the years, we will always cherish our years together in that special place. We know that Sunny Skies holds a very special place in the hearts of our campers, including our own children. It is our hope that they take with them the friendships they made and joyful memories of their days in camp. We hope that they will look back on their Sunny Skies summers as highlights of their young lives.

With fond memories and wishes for all the best.

Harold Gordon - Jeff Salzman - Ryan Rosen



A few additional questions that you or your campers may have.

What happened to the petting farm animals?

They all have new homes. In the case of Al, Mabelle, Billie and Jojo, they are all living together with some new friends at the home of a former Sunny Skies camper. They have more room to run and play than they did at Sunny Skies and seem very happy. During the summer of 2008, we welcomed them to Camp Kinneret where they made lots of new friends and they will be a permanent part of the Camp Kinneret program!

Can Sunny Skies campers enroll at Camp Kinneret?

Absolutely. We look forward to welcoming many SS families into the Kinneret family, but we also know that just like Sunny Skies, part of what makes Camp Kinneret special is that we limit the number of campers in order to keep groups small and maintain the community feeling in camp. There will be space for new families at Camp Kinneret as there is every year. Sunny Skies families are encouraged to submit applications during January (like other new families) since space is always limited and we can't guarantee that space or specific day combinations or sessions will be available.

Is there a chance SS will re-open in the future?

While we never rule anything out, at this moment we can't foresee an opportunity presenting itself that would allow us to re-open Sunny Skies in the foreseeable future.