Winter Getaway/Harvesters Retreat
We are so excited you have chosen to join us at the 2024 AYL Winter Getaway/Harvesters Retreat! Please familiarize yourself with the important information on this page so that you will have a safe and enjoyable weekend!
SCOOP SHEET
Parents, thank you for allowing your child to attend our Winter Getaway/Harvesters Retreat! We hope it will be a safe and memorable experience for your child. Our Asian Young Life adult leaders and the Young Life camp staff are committed to providing your child a safe and memorable experience at camp.
We have prepared a Scoop Sheet/Packing List that provides important information about this trip. Please download the Scoop Sheet, print it out, and post it on your refrigerator so you may refer to it when necessary.
DEPARTURE INFORMATION
We will be traveling to Lake Champion in three coach buses provided by Campbell Tours. We will meet at the following place and time:
ACADEMIES @ ENGLEWOOD AND RIVER DELL STUDENTS:
Students from the Academies @ Englewood and River Dell High School should meet at 4 PM on Friday, January 26, at East Bergen Christian Church, 320 Beverly Rd, Teaneck, NJ 07666 (This is the same place where we have AYL club.)
TENAFLY STUDENTS:
If you are a student from Tenafly High School, please drop your luggage off at the Harvesters House, 54 Columbus Dr, Tenafly, NJ 07670 BEFORE school on Friday morning, January 26, and then return to the Harvesters House after school at 3:30 PM to board the bus. The bus will then drive to East Bergen Christian Church in Teaneck to join the other buses waiting there.
RETURN INFORMATION
The buses will return to East Bergen Christian Church, 320 Beverly Rd, Teaneck, NJ 07666 on Sunday, February 28, at approximately 6 PM. The buses will then proceed to Tenafly Middle School at approximately 6:15 PM to drop off the Tenafly students. Your child will be instructed to call home to let you know a more precise time as we get closer to New Jersey.
PACKING LIST
Expect outside temperatures to be between 25° and 45°, so please pack accordingly.
CLOTHING
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comfortable winter clothing (e.g., hoodies and sweatpants)
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winter hat
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athletic clothing for the gym/game room
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swimsuit and beach towel for the hot tub
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sneakers for the gym
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flip flops for the bathroom
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underwear for 3 days
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pajamas (or whatever you wear to sleep)
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animal onesie (if you have one)
SKI-RELATED
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gloves (essential!)
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snowpants (very helpful)
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goggles (helpful)
TOILETRIES
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toothbrush
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toothpaste
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shampoo/bodywash
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contact lenses and solution
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feminine products (for the girls only)
MISCELLANEOUS
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face masks (for COVID protection)
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$20+ for dinner at the ski resort
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spending money for the camp snack bar/store (The camp accepts cash, credit cards, and Apple Pay.)
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cell phone and charger
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water bottle (to stay hydrated)
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laundry/plastic bag (for dirty clothes)
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if you take medicine, please remember to bring it
You do NOT have to bring a shower towel, pillow, bed linens, or a sleeping bag. These will be provided for you.
Remember to bring your ski/snowboard equipment (including helmet!) if you chose to bring your own equipment when you registered.
PING PONG TOURNAMENT
At this year’s Winter Getaway, everyone will be participating in our Doubles Ping Pong Tournament. It’s all for fun, so don’t worry if you are not that good at ping pong.
Please select someone who is going on the Getaway to be your ping pong partner. Teams are NOT gender specific, so your partner can be either a male or a female.
Please complete the request form at wintergetaway.net/pingpong by the end of Wednesday, January 24; after that time, we will randomly assign a ping pong partner to you.
VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
Get ready for a spike of adrenaline at our co-ed volleyball tournament. We will create teams for a fun, enjoyable competition. If you want to play, please sign up at wintergetaway.net/volleyball or click the button below. Please sign up by the end of Wednesday, January 24.
ANIMAL ONESIE CREW
Every year at Winter Getaway, many of our participants wear "animal onesies" (kigurumi) as part of our "Animal Onesie Crew" when they go skiing/snowboarding. Why? Because it's fun, helps to bring people together, and because they are warm to wear on the snowy slopes as well as at the camp.
We hope you will keep this tradition alive by bringing your own animal onesie and by wearing it at camp! Better yet... Get a group of your friends and wear MATCHING animal onesies! You can be an owl, a tiger, a narwhal, a dinosaur, Pokemon, anything! If you need assistance in acquiring an animal onesie, go to wintergetaway.net/onesie or click the button below. But do this by Wednesday, January 24, so we have time to get it for you.
FOOD/DIET CONCERNS
Our desire is to meet the food and diet needs of every guest going to Winter Getaway. The camp staff will do their best to meet everyone's food and/or diets needs by providing substitute/alternative food options. Most meals served at camp will consist of standard American food (e.g., pancakes, eggs, meat, pork, etc.). The camp also offers the following special diet requests: gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and vegan.
If you require a special diet, please complete the form at wintergetaway.net/food or click on the button below, and we will do our best to accommodate you!
COVID/ILLNESS CONCERNS
All participants MUST take a COVID test on Thursday, January 25. A rapid test using a home kit is acceptable. Please upload your test results at aylhealth.com/covid on January 25. If you test POSITIVE for COVID or if you have any other cold/flu symptoms, unfortunately you will not be permitted to attend the Getaway; you will receive a refund.
Please upload a picture of your test results at aylhealth.com/covid on Thursday, January 25. If you do test positive for COVID, unfortunately you will not be permitted to attend Winter Getaway. Call/TXT us at (201) 777-0-AYL if you test positive for COVID.
IMPORTANT POLICIES
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Absolutely NO alcohol, e-cigarettes/juul, hookah, or illegal drugs are permitted. You won’t need them to have fun this weekend! If you bring such items to camp, we will notify your parents, who will be asked to take you home.
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Always stay in control and always wear your helmet while skiing/snowboarding, stay on trails consistent with your ability, and never ski/board alone. Snowboarders must also wear provided wristguards.
CAMP/SKI RESORT INFORMATION
CAMP: Young Life’s Lake Champion, 247 Mohican Lake Rd, Glen Spey, NY 12737
CAMP PHONE NUMBER: (845) 856-6871
CAMP WEBSITE: lakechampion.younglife.org
SKI RESORT: Big Bear Ski Resort, 192 Karl Hope Blvd, Lackawaxen, PA 18435
SKI RESORT PHONE NUMBER: (570) 226-8585
SKI RESORT WEBSITE: ski-bigbear.com
PARENTAL CONCERNS
Parents, be assured that we take your child’s welfare seriously and that we want your child to have a safe experience. Supervision at the Getaway includes adult volunteer leaders as well as local public school teachers. The overall ratio of adult supervision to teens is about 1:10. Male and female housing at the camp is clearly defined, separated, and chaperoned. Students are closely monitored at all times. In addition, a fully licensed EMT will be with us at all times. Furthermore, at the ski resort, we require all students to wear helmets, and all beginners are required to take lessons provided by ski school instructors. Please be assured that the safety and well-being of our young people are our first priorities.
For this trip, we will be taking 125 high school students, 24 adult leaders, and a support team of 13 adults working behind the scenes for a grand total of 162 people! Please keep us in your prayers!
Asian Young Life is a Christian nonprofit organization committed to making a difference in the lives of Asian American teenagers. As a Christian group, we desire to help teenagers learn about God, but we do so in a way that protects every child's right and ability to make his or her own decision regarding faith issues. All students are welcome regardless of what they believe. To learn more about our mission and beliefs, please visit our About AYL page.
SCHEDULE
Please note that the activities for Winter Getaway will take place primarily at Young Life's Lake Champion, but on Saturday afternoon we will be departing the camp to go skiing and snowboarding at Big Bear Ski Resort and then returning to the camp on Saturday night.
Below is a schedule of events that will take place throughout Winter Getaway. There is no dinner at the camp on Friday night, but we will provide pizza at East Bergen Christian Church before we leave. In addition, the camp has a snack bar that will be open when we arrive. Students are permitted to bring food to the camp and on the bus if they desire.
FRIDAY EVENING
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Depart for camp from East Bergen Christian Church at 4 PM
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Arrive at Lake Champion at 6:45 PM
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Ping Pong Tournament
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Asian Young Life Club (outreach event)
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Small groups in cabins
SATURDAY
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Breakfast
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Volleyball Tournament
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Lunch
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Skiing/Snowboarding at Big Bear Ski Resort (leave camp at 2:45 PM)
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Dinner
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Return to Lake Champion (return to camp at 9:30 PM)
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Camp activities in game room
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Small groups in cabins
SUNDAY
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Breakfast
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Harvesters worship service
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Small groups in cabins
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Harvesters area meetings
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Lunch
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Free time
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Cabin clean up
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Return to East Bergen Christian Church at approximately 6 PM
Students will have access to their cell phones at all times, so parents may call their children directly on their phones. AT&T cell service works best at camp; Verizon and T-Mobile are less reliable. Parents may also call or text the Asian Young Life staff at (201) 777-0-AYL (0295) if there is an emergency.
HOW TO CONTACT YOUR CHILD OR AYL
Days Until Winter Getaway !