The Saratoga Superheros
Happy December everybody! Right now, our new forever home in Saratoga Springs is covered in ice, snow, and rain. As the days are getting shorter and colder, one might think we should just give up for the year. Waiting until March for the sun and warmth might sound like a good idea to some. But Stomping Ground has a secret task force the likes of which no one has ever seen…
It’s not the Avengers. It’s not the Buffalo Bills. It’s not the Fab 5. They are a team far greater.
Jack and Laura’s Parents!! That’s right, this crew has been living in Saratoga Springs over the last month cleaning cabins, constructing picnic tables, and building new doors. When Jack first walked their family around the property, he had no intention of propositioning them to move to Saratoga for the month. But I think that speaks volumes about the kind of people the Kriegels and the Schotts are. Incredibly selfless and full of passion, I now see where both Jack and Laura get their spirit from!
Luckily I got to see the Saratoga Squad in action this week when Jack, Klee and I visited. It was raining, and there was a good amount of snow covering the entire property. The first two faces I saw were the moms, Janice and Pam. They had the biggest smiles on their faces as they showed us their progress on the potential staff lounge building. Jack might have been more excited than they were! As we continued to walk around camp, we saw Jack’s brother Jesse fixing the infirmary, Jon Kriegel sanding boards for picnic tables, and John Schott (yes everyone is named John) constructing door frames for multiple cabins.
How did we find this crew?!
Our team feels incredibly fortunate to have the talent and drive that both families provide day in and day out. Since early November, they have been up early each morning, eat breakfast together, and set out to work for 8-9 hours in the cold. It is not easy work and most of the time it isn’t pretty. But these folks get the work done, and do it with a smile. They definitely love Jack and Laura, but they firmly believe in camp’s future and what Stomping Ground can achieve with a new site that is accomodating, functional, and beautiful.
Klee and I put in a few hours in the afternoon helping the parents with their tasks. As I was walking to deliver a battery powered saw to Mr. Schott, I slipped on the path and dropped the saw deep into the snow. I gave it to Mr. Schott, who just shook his head and laughed at me. It’s a good thing I am not leading the charge on all of this construction.
And it’s even better to have these incredible humans along for the ride.
