Camp Foley Camper Accolades

The Camp Foley Hall of Fame was started in 1997. The Hall of Fame provides a way for campers and staff that have spent 10 summers at Foley to share their experiences with the Foley community and to be recognized for their time at camp. This recognition doesn’t hinge on a camper receiving activity awards or being the most recognizable person in camp. All that is required is a love for Camp Foley and a willingness to share that love with others.

Campers inducted into the Hall of Fame have previously joined Bridge Crossing by writing their “What Camp Foley Means to Me” essay and have also completed a biography sheet about their ten (or more) summers at camp.

Hall of Fame (10+ Years)

If you are thinking that this summer will be your 10th total summer at camp let us know and we can double check for you. If you haven’t joined Bridge Crossing by writing your “What Camp Foley Means to Me” essay, you can do it now and join both Bridge Crossing and the Hall of Fame in the same summer. You can email your essay to us before camp. Check out the frames in the Dining Hall to see pictures of all the Hall of Fame members!

Below is a quote pulled from each Hall-of-Famer’s “What Camp Foley Means to Me” essay. These essays can be written for a camper’s 5th summer to join Bridge Crossing. Some of these essays were written when the camper was 10 or 11-year-olds!

How Alumni Can Join

If you spent 10 or more summers at Camp Foley but were never inducted to the Hall of Fame you are more than welcome to come back for a visit to be inducted! Email us with questions.

1997

Andrea Anthony: “I have been able to touch many lives and in turn I have been touched by many more… I am who I am today because of all the friendship and memories of my days at camp.” (First year 1987)

Alli Faricy: “After being here my whole life, meeting people, and watching people leave, I realized that my friends at camp are the best friends I’ll ever make.” (First year 1988)

Lauren Hartzell: “It means a lot to me to know that I have been a part of such a special place… I love this place and it means the world to me.” (First year 1987)

Colleen Huey: “There is a special connection among ‘Foley people.’  A thread thin as spider’s silk connects hundred, maybe thousands, of people around the world who have experienced Foley.” (First year 1983)

Jana Schmid: “By the time Friendship Campfire rolls around you realize how much fun you’ve had. You never thought that in a course of a few weeks you could get as close to these girls as you are.” (First year 1988)

1998

Jenny Dowling: “It is really hard for me to answer in just one word what camp means to me because over the years it has meant so many things.” (First year 1988)

Kristi Pflanz: “And even though everyone has changed in different ways, they are still the same person inside that you have shared many memories with in the past year.” (First year 1989)

Kathleen Schmitz: “As much as I like the different experiences, I still love tradition. I love how we have Soda Bread every Sunday and the picnic dinners.” (First year 1989)

1999

Mike Schmid: “To me camp is a place where you have a good time and do not worry about your personality or how you look. It is a place where you can act like yourself and relax.” (First year 1990)

Steve Schmid: “Camp has given me so many things that I can’t even begin to describe. Camp means so much to me; I don’t know how my life would be without the experience that I have from amp Foley.” (First year 1990)

Sarah Schmitz: “In a way, camp is friendship. It’s a lot of things. And its positive effects on me have helped me grow.” (First year 1989)

2000

Erica Schmid: “Looking back at all my picture books that I have formed over the years, I see the reasons why I always come back. I realize that I love my life at camp and never want anything to change.” (First year 1991)

Laura Schmid: “When people ask me what Camp Foley means to me, I tell them everything. What I mean by everything is… I talk about new friendships and old, opportunities and new adventures, traditions and memories.” (First year 1991)

2001

Maggie Enz: “I don’t think anyone can understand how much those little things mean to someone unless they experience it.” (First year 1991)

Sarah Rauenhorst: “Whenever I leave camp or am away from camp I feel like I need to come back for more.” (First year 1992)

2002

Molly Hagerman: “I like coming to camp because of all the fun times and fun memories I have. I hope to keep coming back to camp as long as I can.” (First year 1993)

Will Urion: “F is for Fun at Camp Foley. O is for Optimism, straight as an arrow. L is for Laughter, always here. E is for Enthusiasm, everyone cheers. Y is for Yearning to return to Camp Foley, each and every year.” (First year 1993)

2004

Christine McGarvey: “When I was only eight years old, camp meant so much to me, but as the years have passed, camp has become a completely different part of me.” (First year 1995)

Lauren Kelly: “What is great about camp is that each person is different but you can find so many similarities between two different people.” (First year 1993)

Krista Strobel: “As I look back at all these memories I think to myself, these are some of my best days… I tell you Camp Foley means a lot to me.” (First year 1995)

2006

Peter Beltz: “Camp Foley is a wonderful place filled with love, happiness, gladness and most important friendship.” (First year 1997)

Cassie Jensen: “To me, camp is one of the greatest places on earth. When I am at camp, I truly have the time of my life and when I am not at camp, I can’t stop talking about it and telling my friends how much I love it.” (First year 1997)

Meghan Quinlan: “Even though I can’t physically bring camp with me wherever I go, it’s always there with me, in my heart.” (First year 1996)

Annie Sloterdyk: “I have spent so many years here at camp that I consider the people here my family, and the camp itself my home. Camp has truly been a place for me to learn and grow.” (First year 1994)

2007

Kylie Beltz: “I, and maybe you, have noticed that everywhere you look there are smiling faces of the campers. Friends are a huge part of Camp Foley.” (First year 1998)

Lauren Castaneda: “They say, ‘camp gives kids a world of good’ and I believe that. The skills and values you pick up at camp stay with you for the rest of your life and change who you are.” (First year 1995)

Greg Huey: “This has been a great time writing my essay because I get to think about my memories of camp. I think that camp means fun, friends, excitement, strength, courage and coordination.” (First year 1998)

Sarah Hines: “You never forget a friend from camp. It stays in your mind forever. How they smile when you make a joke. How their eyes lit up when they got the award they were working so hard on. You remember that.” (First year 1998)

Emilia Kronschnabel: “This is my fifth year at Camp Foley, and boy have I learned a lot! And I still have a lot to learn.” (First year 1998)

Molly Moffet: “Camp is where I can be me and be liked for being me… I am loved for who Iam and that is probably the coolest thing anyone can do.” (First year 1998)

Lark Nierenberg: “Camp Foley is a magical place. The imagination, creativity, and spirit that runs free here is unique and unforgettable. When I think of past memories, my chest swells and I cannot help but smile.” (First year 1997)

Kai Peterson: “The activities, people, cultures, and food are all of the reasons of how Camp Foley is great in my opinion. I think this is a great camp.” (First year 1997)

2008

Bridget Moffet: “I know it sounds cheesy, but Camp Foley is such an amazing place if I were to have to explain it, I would really have no idea where to start.” (First year 1999)

2009

Chris Blahna: “What Camp Foley means to me is hard to put exactly into words. It’s all around us right now: it’s the people, the memories, the community, the lake, the woods, even the food, but most all it’s the way Camp Foley accepts and treats people.” (First year 1998)

Ben Castaneda: “Most importantly, only at Camp Foley can you truly learn through tradition what it is to laugh, to love, to play, to be happy, to sing, and for two weeks out of the, year to truly be a kid.” (First year 1998)

Ally Daily: “There are some things in camp that are visible to everyone, but some things can only be seen by those that have experienced the magic of Foley.” (First year 2000)

Gaby Driessen: “I feel as if I am indebted towards Camp, for it has brought me everlasting friendships, and it has brought me closer to my family.” (First year 1997)

Taylor Hines: “Camp has always been the best part of my summer and every year (even the day I leave) I can’t wait to go back.” (First year 1998)

Courtney Kronschnabel: “It means once I’m here, I never want to leave because of all the laughs, cries, falls, meals you’ve had, you don’t want to leave all the fun at Camp Foley.” (First year 2000)

Steve Nightingale: “[I remember] The rifle range, especially station 10 (you could put your ammo on the ledge, instead of in your pocket if you were shooting standing).” (First year 1959)

2010

Jessie Garretson: “How can something that has molded the person I am today so significantly be summed up in a mere essay? It can’t. Camp Foley is the place where I can breathe easier and smile wider.” (First year 1999)

Peter Hughes: “When my hand goes down for the last time for taps, that beautiful chapter of my life will be dotted with its final period… With me I will take the friendships, the lessons, the memories, and the idea of how truly amazing life can be.” (First year 2001)

Natalie Lunda: “You don’t have to be afraid to make a new friend, try something new, or have fun because that is what camp is all about.” (First year 2000)

Kate Mogard: “The independence, responsibility, confidence, and life skills that I have gained here are immeasurable, the relationships I have formed are priceless, and the memories are irreplaceable” (First year 2001)

Leslie Strobel: “Camp Foley means soooo much to me. It is the highlight of my summer, my year, and will be a highlight of my life forever.” (First year 1995)

Claire Revord: “When I stop and think about two simple words, Camp Foley, I realize that it isn’t just a camp. It’s a place where friendships grow, where memories are made, where laughs and smiles are shared.” (First year 2001)

Chris Revord: “The thought of Camp Foley brings smiles to my face. It reminds me of so many incredible memories, and brings tears to my eyes.” (First year 2001)

2011

Maddy Boyd: “Another thing camp means to me is love. Without love there would be no camp, right?” (First year 2002)

Tali Driessen: “When I come to camp, I never want it to be over and when I leave, I count down until the day I come back.” (First year 2000)

Melissa Ferrie: “The people I have met there and the memoires we have shared are irreplaceable in my mind. Without Foley, I wouldn’t have learned so many new things and in some ways discover more about myself.” (First year 2002)

Rosie McCarty: “Camp Foley is a wonderful, loving community that I wait to come to all year long. Camp Foley means meeting new friends and keeping them forever.” (First year 2000)

2012

Joe Dwyer: “Ever since that first day a lot of things changed at camp around me like new campers, new counselors, and new activities. It’s all really awesome with all these new experiences, it’s like opening up presents during Christmas.” (First year 2002)

Molly McGuire: “Oh, another thing I can’t forget is expressing yourself. At camp you are free to be yourself and not pretend to be someone you’re not.” (First year 2001)

Mike Mogard: “It seems the memories are what matter the most. And in all my years on this Earth, I can’t think of any other place that has given me so many memories than Camp Foley.” (First year 2003)

2013

Maryclaire Costello: “During my time at Foley I have felt safe enough to be myself, safe enough to trust others, safe enough to feel loved and to love in return.” (First year 2001)

Tessa Lee: “Camp Foley is this little dot on a map in northern Minnesota, but to me it holds that innocence of childhood, the adventures of youthfulness, the long-time friends and the unforgettable counselors.” (First year 2000)

Emily McGuire: “The campers are my best friends – the kind of best friends that walk into my home without knocking and are welcome, who eat anything in our refrigerator without asking, and who call my parents by their first names.” (First year 2004)

Sam Munkeby: “To me camp is about going to place that you love more than home and getting back together with a family that will never judge you for who you are.” (First year 2004)

Parker Poche: “Camp isn’t a dream – it’s complete reality. I won’t forget camp the minute I leave like everyone forgets a dream when they wake up. Camp is unforgettable, and I won’t let myself forget camp.” (First year 2003)

Jack Revord: “It is one of the places where I can truly relax because it is secluded from the outside world except for the mail. I feel safe and secure here at Foley.” (First year 2000)

2014

Kevin Beltz: “My fifth year at camp was the best yet! I received my Birchbark and my Silver Paddle. I made a lot of friends and connected with my old camp friends.” (First year 2001)

Matt Carney: “For all of those who have passed through and have yet to come, we have landed on something truly beautiful.” (First year 2004)

John Daily: “I wasn’t always going to a destination, sometimes I was walking just to look around at what Camp Foley really looked like. I loved to let nature just soak in. It was utter perfection by the way.” (First year 2004)

Stephen Davis: “Camp brings out creativeness and wackiness in all of us.” (First year 2004)

Tory Kronschnabel: “My friends make camp an even better experience and more fun. The counselors, campfires, and cabins make camp a great experience. Camp is a necessity in my life.” (First year 2005)

Emily Newman: “Camp Foley is like finding someone inside you, someone you never knew was there; a funnier and happier person, the kind of person you always wanted to be.” (First year 2004)

Evan Oncay: “Every memory I have of camp is there because someone did something for me. Whether they made me laugh, cry, learn a new skill, discover something about myself, or just have a good time in general.” (First year 2004)

Sara Turke: “Just like the story of the Three Braves, my awards are my roses, my friends are my rocks, but Camp Foley is my eternal sunrise and even though the sunrise has to go away, the memory of it will always be in my heart.” (First year 2003)

2015

Matthew Kronschnabel: “The bonds you form with the people you meet here are some of the strongest bonds anyone can form, they are Foley bonds.” (First year 1998)

Yvonne Combs: “Camp Foley has given me a chance to give my children experiences they would not have gotten elsewhere. I have seen children come to camp at an early age, 7 or 8, and grow in to fine adults.” (First year 2000, Camp Nurse)

John Combs: “For this month I want to spend every minute of my time at camp away from any distractions, not spending time  on my phone talking with people I see the other 11 months of the year.” (First year 2006)

Lilly McCarty: “Camp Foley is like a coloring book. Each year, when you have a new cabn, the picture will be different. When new campers come or new counselors come there’s a new color. But the best part is you don’t have to be afraid of coloring outside the lines.” (First year 2006)

Elisabeth Dean: “Camp is what I look forward to all year. When my friends say camp is lame I just laugh inside because they don’t get to experience something as amazing as Camp Foley.” (First year 2005)

Jenny Delaney: “I’m pretty sure that my mom had no clue at age five when she signed me up for a one night overnight that camp would turn in to a lifestyle, job, passion and second home. (First year 2006)

Julia Goldman: “At Camp Foley, you are always encouraged, supported and cared for. Older campers are always role models for younger campers. And counselors are always role models for older campers.” (First year 2006)

Megan McGuire: “I hope someday I can help everyone find happiness in the world of camp. Everyone deserves this place and this kind of bliss.  I am so thankful for the counselors, directors and all the camepers through the years.” (First year 2003)

2016

Claudia Leon de la Vega: “I remember my first day of camp seven years ago. My dad showed me around camp and the instant I met my counselor I told him to go away. I felt so welcome and happy that I just wanted him to leave and for camp to start already.” (First year 2007)

Nick Kronschnabel: “What does Camp Foley mean to me? Well, it means to continue a family tradition  of making friends and to continue family member competition  and most of all to continue having fun & a good time.” (First year 2007)

Maddie Lorentzen: “One time I was asked, “If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?” and my answer was simple. I wish I was who I am at camp every day at home. When you break it down, you have no makeup, no hair straightener, and no one to impress. You can’t hide behind text messages or Facebook pages. I find myself in the rawest state, but that’s  what I have learned  to love.” (First year 2004)

Nick Goldman: “I write this sitting in my dorm at two in the morning on a Sunday night. It is summer, I am at Marquette taking a few extra classes and I cannot sleep, all I can think about is what I am missing out on at camp. I keep seeing picture after picture, on different social media sites, of all my old camp friends taking on the roles of the counselors that we looked up to so much when we were all campers.” (First year 2004)

2017

Grant Altenhofen: “Camp Foley is one of the reasons why I’m the person that I am today. I’ve been going to camp ever since I was seven, so I truly feel it has shaped me into who I am.” (First year 2008)

Emma Ryan: “When I’m at Camp it is like a whole other world that I am in. It’s a place where you can get rid of all the drama in your everyday life and meet new friends and learn new skills. But the best part you can do is just be you!” (First year 2008)

Mae Munkeby: “I love Camp Foley so much! It is awesome and it is the main thing I look forward to doing during the summer. It is like fourteen days in paradise.” (First year 2008)

Taylor Costas: “So what does camp mean to me? I’m still not sure how to put that into words. But if the way I feel about the people here is any indication of my love for this place itself, then I think it’s safe to say that Camp Foley is and always will be a huge part of my life.” (First year 2001)

Sara Kruempelstaedter: “I started coming to camp for the fun activities. I soon found that it was just a small part of the camp experience. Foley is really about the friendships you make with the people there.” (First year 2006)

Karli Ryan: “Camp brought me a new found independence and pushed me to go outside my comfort zone. Although my years at camp are dwindling down, I’ll always know that there will always be a little piece of Foley with me everywhere I go.” (First year 2006)

Regina Flores: “Some people here probably know me better than I know myself and they push me forward every year and throughout the year. I am forever grateful and blessed to have crossed paths with Foley becasue of them.” (First year 2006)

Liv Sieff: “Every year at camp I find out something new about myself. Whether it is that I can waterski or that I can actually sleep in rest period, it makes me have a better view on who I am.” (First year 2007)

Thomas Schroeder: “Camp is an escape from life at home. At Camp Foley I am able to forget about home and focus on friends and having fun.” (First year 2007)

Joe Munkeby: “This is my tenth year at Foley, and over the many years that I have been a camper here, Camp Foley has been just that to me, Home.”(First year 2008)

Sarah Gibbs: “It’s impossible to sum up camp into words. Camp is a feeling that comes from the heart, that doesn’t need any sound or specific reason. Camp is so deeply rooted into who I am that upon reflection I am only able to smile from the heart and feel an immense amount of gratitude.” (First year 2004)

2018

Traci Haglund: “Camp Foley is made up of many great things. That is why it is going strong in creating a great environment for both campers and staff that teach them new things about themselves and help them thrive.”  (First year 2004)

Ellie Scheid: “Camp is my home away from home… Camp has provided for me a big, happy family.” (First year 2009)

Riley Peterson: “I went to camp expecting to make friends but I ended up with a family. Camp is my happy place.” (First year 2009)

Mia Hill: “You wonder how to make the next year go faster. Because you know deep down in your heart that there is no other camp like Camp Foley.” (First year 2008)

Annie Epstein: “I have spent 6 years, 22 weeks, 36 sign ups and 165 activity periods in this wonderful place. I wouldn’t have wanted to spend those hours anywhere else.” (First year 2008)

2019

Joe Henkhaus: “Camp has a certain bonding sense that I will never forget. I appreciate all the staff who work here to fuel the greatest summers of my life.”  (First year 2009)

Elliott Newman: “I remember when I was nine or ten and looking up to the older campers who were such good role models. I think their abilities had an effect on me and helped me towards becoming a better person.” (First year 2006)

Alyssa Ruhland: “When you think of Camp Foley, many people would think of “fun” or “friends” or maybe even “activities”. But when I think of Camp Foley, I think of life-long friends.” (First year 1999)

2021

Max Corona: “Camp is truly my favorite place on earth. Everything about camp. From my first friend to all the other friends acquired in the years since”

Charlotte Dixon: “Camp is me trying to explain all the funny moments and memories to my mom and not being able to talk because I’m laughing so hard.”

Annie Heinritz: “Camp is where I can turn from one of the little girls that envy the tek girls, to being a Tek girl and getting to make an impact on so many people’s life.”

Avery Opland: “Camp has given me the opportunity to meet the most amazing people who, without camp, I may never have met, And for that, I am forever grateful.”

Jake Ryan: “What camp means to me is a place to feel at home, try new things, make new friends (…) learn new life skills, better myself and those around me and to make each day great.”

Jens Tulio: “It is my fellow campers and the counselors who shape me. And that’s why I am the way I am. Thanks to all of them, I feel I am a stronger, more confident person.”

Maggie Hinken: “At camp, everyone’s masks come off showing our true colors, and letting us shine, making camp so much more special.”

Nike the Dog: “Being a camp dog is the best! Even though I can be a bit mischievous, it’s almost always because I’m so excited about what’s happening.”

2022

Aria Mahan-Cleveland: “Camp foley has provided me the space and people to be myself and grow as a person. I have learned to be kind, loyal, caring and adventurous.”

Maggie Tell: “My cabinmates became my sisters and every year we got to come together to grow, celebrate, and have the best two weeks of our summer.”

Norm the Dog: “I am a very lucky dog as I spend my summers on Whitefish Lake with all of the campers who are so kind to me.”

2023

Jordan Anderson: “A hug from the heart is powerful, and at Foley we are all blessed enough to experience this warmth every day.”

Carmen Campbell: “Even though I know what these traditions will be each year they mean something different to me. It is by consistent traditions that you start feeling like you have become a family.”

Beth Foster: “The community that Foley embodies is what kept me coming back…Every morning I’d wake up a day closer to seeing my new best friends, a day closer to being back on the lake, a day closer to being at my second home.”

Mary Schmid: “Camp Foley has taught me that we are stronger, better, and happier together.”

Mia Stenberg: “When I think of Camp Foley, I think of fun, tears, friends, paradise, and most importantly lifelong friends.”

2024

Emily Guckeen: “Camp is my happy place. There’s nothing I would rather do during my summers than go to camp.”

Joe Harrington: “All I can say is that every time I am at Camp, I become the best version of myself, and I do not know where I would be without it.”

Sam Rocheford: “There is more to camp than just activities. There will be a ton of activities that keep you busy throughout the day. Although at times there may be things you might not enjoy, there are always new things to learn.”

 

Bridge Crossing (5+ Years)

There are banners in the Dining Hall with the signatures of all those campers and staff that have been at camp for five or more summers. To join Bridge Crossing you need to write a 500-word essay entitled “What Camp Foley Means to Me.”  Email us with questions!

Stepping Stones (3 Years)

After your 3rd summer at Foley you will be invited to sign one of our Stepping Stones Boards. They are on display in the Dining Hall, so you can search for your friends and counselors!

Since the summer of 1984, the Anchor Award has been given to two campers (one boy and one girl) each session who are caring, responsible, a role model and who exhibit the qualities of a good leader. The recipient of the Anchor Award are chosen by their peers and counselors because they are people of strong character who are leaders in the camp community. To be eligible for the Anchor Award you must have been a camper for at least 5 weeks.