Each night, the echo of fireworks from nearby Benona Township Park grew louder than the night before in anticipation of the Fourth of July. At Miniwanca, thunderous chants and cheers put the sound of fireworks to shame in anticipation of the Quad Cup.

Boys Camp started the day with a carnival in Bryant Field. Campers began preparing for an afternoon of competition by applying face paint and donning their Quads’ colors. But before the all-camp event, Boys Campers played carnival games to win tickets to be exchanged for prizes. 

One of the most entertaining and most popular games was the dunk tank. The campers formed a line as fast as they could for a chance to dunk their favorite staff member by throwing a ball at the red target — though occasionally, fellow staff members couldn’t resist a guaranteed dunk. 

Spirits were high at the end of the carnival and the beginning of lunch. This was a time for refueling and locking in focus before a much needed hour of rest time. When campers woke up, Girls Camp was in route for Bryant Field to join with their Quad counterparts. 

The games began with team chants, sign making, and a few moments of time to size up the competition. For the next four hours, each Quad took turns sending representatives to compete in different games against the other Quads. 

Some highlights from the competition included musical chairs, where the chairs were swapped out for buckets of water, a game of capture the flag, and each Quad forming a long line with the goal of transferring a T-shirt from the beginning of the line to the end of the line the fastest. 

After the Quad Cup paused for the rest of the day, both camps celebrated their hard work with a barbecue in Bryant Field. 

Having a fun, safe summer has always been the goal at Miniwanca, and the carnival and Quad Cup were the perfect iteration of that goal. Campers went to bed happy and exhausted from the long day of celebration.