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Dear Alumni, Families, and Friends,
The snowflakes are piling up here in Fairlee, and our shorelines, cabins, and trails seem to settle into an even deeper quiet when they’re blanketed in white. It’s a beautiful sight to behold—especially from a cozy window. Inside those windows, things at the foundation are thankfully warm and busy. We’re reviewing feedback from the summer, welcoming new families into the fold for 2026, and investing in projects that will protect the nature around us and strengthen our programs for years to come. As the calendar year winds down, I wanted to share a few updates and some glowing thoughts from this year’s camp families that warm our hearts through these chilly winter months.
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“It’s a beautiful, nurturing place… the benefits of being out in nature, away from technology, living with people who sometimes start as strangers, choosing their own adventures, are endless. The Aloha camps do this well, better than any camp we’ve ever heard of!”
We are fortunate to be surrounded by such natural beauty, and we take seriously our responsibility to care for it. This season, a major focus has been the Horizons waterfront and replacing the one-hundred-year-old seawall on Lake Fairlee. This carefully considered restoration effort avoids the nearby wetlands while introducing carefully curated vegetation, which will reduce erosion and preserve clear sightlines for lifeguards, ensuring safe and protected swimming and boating areas for campers. This meticulous feat of bioengineering will open the door to even more unplugged adventures! Check out the link at the bottom to see this project in action—and to catch a rare glimpse of a flying boathouse!
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“It’s all about the people, full stop. Yes, the location is important, but the top asset of all the camps are the leaders and who they bring in to help run the camp.”
As beautiful as our campuses are, it is our people who bring the Aloha experience to life. This fall, we completed a comprehensive search for a new Senior Director of Programs, a role that will provide strategic leadership across all our camps and programs—residential, day, outdoor education, and leadership development. This addition will support our camp directors, strengthen staff training and risk management, and help us measure impact more effectively so that every program remains firmly rooted in the Aloha Foundation’s mission and values. I look forward to sharing more in the new year.
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“The ethos, values, and commitments of the Aloha camps are more important for children today than ever before… The adults who make the camp experience come alive are exceptional—from management to the counselors they hire and the high expectations that they set.”
Deep in the background of every Aloha Foundation program is a group of volunteers who care greatly about the direction of this organization and are charged with safeguarding its mission and impact for the long term. Recently, we marked an important transition in this group, thanking Trustee Elizabeth Grayer, whose service on the Board of Trustees paired a deep personal connection with an extraordinary professional life in law and nonprofit leadership. Her thoughtful questions, advocacy for camper experience, and steady presence at the board table have helped guide the Foundation throughout her time as camper, counselor, parent, board member and chair.
We are also delighted to welcome two new trustees who bring experience in higher education and nonprofit leadership, along with their own Aloha stories. Their professional expertise and personal ties to camp will help us steward the Foundation into its next chapter. You can learn more about these two stellar additions, Elizabeth Conklin and Treby Williams, in the links below.
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“What stood out the most was the sense of community and growth my child experienced. He came home more confident, independent, and full of stories about new friendships and adventures.”
At the heart of everything are the campers themselves and the communities they create with one another. Their friendships, traditions, and everyday courage are what make camp truly meaningful.
Continuing through the fall, our programs have remained strong. Hulbert concluded a full fall season hosting 38 school programs and is now preparing for Winter Family Camp. Horizons continues to be in demand, and the program will be at maximum capacity again this year. Aloha, Hive, and Lanakila enrollment is tracking ahead of last year overall, with many campers returning and new families beginning their journeys with us. We can still make some room for new families at Ohana this summer, so grab the (extended?) family and come on back to camp!
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“When I picked her up there was a mob of girls waiting to give her hugs… When I asked if she wanted to go back the answer was ‘Definitely. And my sister has to go too.’”
I love reading about camper moments like this. They capture what keeps so many of us coming back to the Alohas year after year: the joy of being known and welcomed, the promise of growth, and the feeling that there will always be a place for us here. Whether it’s a first summer, a long-awaited return, or a visit after many years away, camp has a way of calling us back.
There is much to look forward to in 2026! We continue to work to measure and communicate the benefits of camp, search for new ways to support our staff and programs, and plan joyful gatherings including the milestone reunions celebrating 120 years of Aloha and 110 years of Hive. We hope many of you will join us back on the shores of Lake Morey and Lake Fairlee to celebrate.
I remain deeply grateful for this community’s generosity. A recent anonymous $40,000 gift—given quietly, without any recognition requested—was a reminder of the importance of the work we do, as well as the trust our community places in that work.
As you reflect on your own year and consider any year-end giving, please know that your support helps make all this possible. Whether you know the Alohas through Aloha, Hive, Lanakila, Horizons, Hulbert, or Ohana—whether you are a camper, parent, grandparent, alum, donor, staff member, or friend—you are part of this story. Thank you for the many ways you help keep this community vibrant and strong.
Happy Holidays,
Vanessa Riegler
Executive Director
The Aloha Foundation
Check out the links below for more details and other items of interest!
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