Holiday Wishes from North Star

All of us at North Star wanted to take this time to wish you all a happy holiday season. Whether you're spending the next week or so skiing or in the sun, or at home with family and friends, we hope that you have the best. For those of you spending time else where, travel safely and good luck dealing with airport security!

For your holiday enjoyment, I wanted to share with you some of the winter pictures that I've taken at North Star. Over the past ten years I've had the opportunity to be at camp several times during the winter, and while camp is very different under the snow and without campers running around, its no less a magical place.

Again, have a safe and healthy holidays!

December Siren is Online

The December Siren is now online. So for those of you about to head off on vacation, print off a copy as it makes great airplane reading material! There is lots of news in the December Siren, including our first group of returning staff (its a large group, and there are more to come). We also have more returning campers as well as news on both campers and staff. Leb and Andy have done a lot of traveling, so there better be lots of news!

Get to the December Siren here, or go to www.northstarcamp.com, click the link for current families, and then you'll find the newsletters in the media room.

Coming to a Theater Near You

Many of you have seen or heard of the American Camp Association's Because of Camp public service announcement. The ACA announced earlier this week that the PSA will be shown in movie theaters across the country over the next month and again in February and March. The PSA features several well known personalities, one of which happens to be North Star's very own Paul Adelstein. Adel, who plays Dr. Cooper Friedman in ABC's Private Practice was a camper and counselor and spent ten years at North Star.




Let us know if you see the Because of Camp PSA!

Camper Jake Kraemer in the News

As I was scanning through the November 30th Deerfield Review I stumbled upon a familiar picture. As a University of Wisconsin alumnus and football season ticket holder it took me a second to realize that the photo wasn't former Badger running back PJ Hill, but it was North Star Camper Jake Kraemer.

Props to Jake for his participation in the Thanksgiving Day charity Turkey Bowl. We're waiting for a copy of Jake breaking into his best Heisman pose.

If you haven't read about North Star's annual Thanksgiving week "Wanegan Bowl", check out last week's Leb's Rambling.

2010 Wanegan Bowl Recap

For many, the Thanksgiving holiday brings an opportunity to get together with family and friends. Along with great food, many people play in an annual Turkey Bowl type of football games. For North Star folks in the Chicago area the game of choice isn't football but speedball, a hybrid game that combines elements of football, soccer and basketball. The day after Thanksgiving is our annual Wanegan Bowl.

Seven years ago about 20 of us gathered at West Ridge Park in Highland Park and while the game has moved and the participation has grown, the game still marks a great opportunity for current and former campers and staff to get together and play a game that we all love. The Wanegan Bowl is open to anyone who has been either a camper or staff at North Star and is currently 16 years of age or older.


-Wanegan Bowl 2010 Participants-

Last Friday Nov. 26th about 50 of us descended upon Brickyard Park, ignored the fact that we weren't in mid season shape and didn't care about the 20 degree temps. Two nights before the game AJ Bayard, Mike Blumberg, Jack Silverstein, and Mike Swiryn drafted the teams in typical United Nations Day style. It didn't matter that none of the captains were at camp this summer and probably knew about half of the players. Teams were split up (pretty evenly).

In order to ensure that everyone gets to play, we now have four teams and play tournament style. It means a little more time outside, but it also gives everyone more time to hang out and catch up. As usual the displays of athletic prowess ranged from impressive to forgettable. In the end, Team Swiryn was victorious in winning the Steven A. Hitchens trophy.

Following the game NSC Alum Brian Glickman was presented with the 3rd Wanegan Bowl Lifetime Achievement Award. Think of this as our version of the Oscar's Thalberg Award. We honor someone when we feel its appropriate and this year Brian was honored for his lifetime of (blind) dedication to North Star, Illini basketball and The Dave Matthews Band. Following the afternoon's festitivites, we all head over the Michael's Hotdogs in Highland Park.


-Brian Glickman recieves the Lifetime Achievement Award from Jack Silverstein-

We'll play again in 2011, so if you missed this year's game, we encourage you to come out next year.