We invite you to come and join us for a fun-filled weekend at Chanco, renew old friendships, make new friends, and give back to Chanco by helping us to get ready for the summer season. There is something for everyone! Come for the whole weekend and enjoy evening social time together or just come for part of the time. Come on your own or come as a family, all are welcome. Individuals under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. We offer free overnight accommodations in the chalets, so register early to reserve your spot! Can’t wait to see you there! Click here for a flyer with details and to share with your parish and friends. Click here or below for more information and registration. Questions? Contact us at hospitality@chanco.org. or 888-7CHANCO (888-724-2626).

Join us on April 23 from 1-5 for a fun afternoon at Chanco and get a sneak peek into all Camp Chanco has to offer. This Open House event is free and open to all ages. There will be tours, hayrides, zip lines, crafting, and food. Bring a friend – don’t forget that for every new camper you refer who registers, you will receive $50 off your own camp tuition. We hope to see you there! Contact programs@chanco.org or 888-7CHANCO (888-724-2626) for more details. No preregistration required.

Join us for a weekend of fun and fellowship as we relive our camp and EYC days together. You won’t want to miss this fantastic homecoming event. Singing camp songs, skits, lunchtime chants, bonfires with s’mores, waterfront, good friends, 80s music, and more await you! Be as busy or relaxed as you wish with options for pool and waterfront time, paddle boarding, kayaking, and zip lines. We can’t wait to see you there! Click here for the full schedule. Click here for a flyer to share with your parish and friends. Click here for full information and to register today!

Mark your calendars for May 20-22 to join the Diocese of Southern Virginia for May Weekend! Youth in grades 6 through 12 are invited for a weekend of camp fun and fellowship as we explore not only what it means to be an Episcopalian, but how we share our faith with others. Cost per participant is $135. Fee includes all meals, retreat lodge rooms with private bath and linens provided. Partial scholarships are available; contact the Diocesan Office at 757-423-8287 or mdern@diosova.org. Click here for more information and registration. Registration deadline: Monday, May 9. Fellowship is fun, spiritual, motivating, musical, and active…and it’s at Chanco!

Chanco is thrilled to announce that Talley Sale Banazek, Chanco Director of Marketing and Development for the past 14 years and recently also Director of The Campaign for Chanco, has answered her call as a Postulant for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia. Worshipping at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Midlothian for the last 24 years, Talley has been involved in multiple ministries with her favorite being Co-Chairing the Redeemer Parish Family Retreat, serving as a J2A and Senior High mentor, and years of involvement with Cursillo retreat ministry, most recently as the Assistant Rector of Cursillo #167 in 2019 along with her mother, Laura Frank Sale, as the Rector. Talley will begin seminary at Virginia Theological Seminary in August of 2022. During her tenure at Chanco, Talley has been a part of a team that has grown Chanco’s Annual Fund from $25,000 per year to a peak year of more than $192,000 in 2020 during the height of the pandemic and while growing a $4.2 million-dollar capital campaign. Talley initiated a Chanco Parish Representative program in 2008, which in its first year helped to grow camper registration numbers by 85%. Continuing targeted grass roots marketing initially and then efforts enhancing marketing with improved web presence, initiating the Chanco Chatter eNewsletter, establishing Chanco Facebook and Instagram accounts, and the design of and distribution of targeted mailings, has helped to grow Chanco camper numbers from 347 in 2007 to a peak year of 624 campers in 2019. 

Talley’s favorite part of serving Chanco has been as Director of the Capital Campaign, which set an initial goal of $2.5 million dollars in 2018 and went on to gross more than $4.2 million in gifts for much needed facility improvements including core projects of a new and expanded Hollerith Dining Hall, the Davenport Spirit Center multi-purpose worship space, and a complete renovation of Flournoy Hall, among other projects. Talley shares, “Working alongside my lifetime spiritual mentor the Rev. David Davenport as Campaign Chair, is and will always be a vocation highlight of my life. Serving with Dave and the incredible leadership team including Board Chair Nancy LeCuyer Beach, Executive Director Gareth Kalfas, and an extraordinary Campaign Executive Committee and Board of Directors, along with the remarkable generosity of our Chanco community, will stay with me forever. The donor relationships developed and the work with many board members and committees over the years have been an absolute joy. God has clearly designed and called a passionate team serving Chanco then and now. With them and God’s help, Chanco will only continue to grow from here. While experiencing bittersweet emotions to leave Chanco’s ministry now, I’m overjoyed at what God has ahead for me and for Chanco. I cannot wait to see Chanco’s continued growth and to come back home, one day, to serve/volunteer at Chanco in a new capacity.” The entire Chanco family extends a heartfelt thank you to Talley for all she’s done to grow the spiritual home that Chanco is to so many and our best wishes for her new spiritual path ahead in seminary! 

Camp Staff Hiring: Seeking young adults ages 18+ to serve Camp Chanco this summer. If you love living in Christian community, working with kids, & having fun this job could be perfect for you! Base pay is $2,000 and housing, meals, and training are included. Positions include: walkaround counselor, arts and crafts, lifeguards, ropes course, media specialist, camp nurse, nature instructor, chaplain, & more. Click here for more information. Click here for camp staff application. Questions? Contact Director of Programs Lexi Barnhill at programs@chanco.org or 888-724-2626.

Doctrine of Discovery: April 7, 2022. FREE. The Reverend Dr. Bradley Hauff (Oglala Sioux), Indigenous Ministries Missioner for the Episcopal Church will be presenting a program titled “It Ain’t Easy Being Native: Indigenous People, the Doctrine of Discovery and the Episcopal Church” via Zoom on April 7, 2022, at 6:00pm. In this program the situation of Indigenous Americans will be examined, beginning with the pre-Columbian historical context and the initiation and impact of the Doctrine of Discovery. Click here for more information and registration.

Open House: April 23, 2022, from 1-5 pm. For all ages, free, and open to the public. Meet camp staff, take a tour, enjoy camp games, crafts, & refreshments to see what Camp Chanco is all about. Bring a friend! Questions? Contact us at hospitality@chanco.org or 888-7CHANCO (888-724-2626).

Volunteer Work Weekend: April 22-24, 2022. Join us for a fun-filled weekend renewing old friendships, making new friends, and giving back by helping Chanco get ready for the summer season. Individuals under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. We offer free overnight accommodations in the chalets, so register early to reserve your spot! Click here for a flyer. Click here for more information and registration. Questions? Contact us at hospitality@chanco.org. or 888-7CHANCO (888-724-2626).

Chanco 1980s Alumni Reunion: May 13-15, 2022. Were you a camper, camp staff, EYC'er, or Happener in the 1980s?! If so, mark your calendars and save the date! The 1980's alumni are reuniting for giant fun back together again at Chanco. Whether you have been at Chanco in the last month or not since 1980, we know you will immediately feel at home with friends who outlast the decades. More information and registration coming soon. Questions? Contact us at hospitality@chanco.org. or 888-7CHANCO (888-724-2626).

May Weekend: May 20-22, 2022. Open to grades 6-12, this youth retreat seeks to bring our young people closer to God and to each other in Christian community - along with some favorite outdoor camp activities as well! Click here for more information and to register. Questions? Contact Youth Missioner Megan Dern at mdern@diosova.org or 757-423-8287.

Camp Chanco Town Hall Zoom: May 25, 2022 at 7 pm. Calling all campers, potential campers, & their families! Join us for a live information session and Q & A sharing all things summer camp. Zoom link here: https://bit.ly/CampChancoTownHall. Bring a friend! Questions? Contact us at hospitality@chanco.org. or 888-7CHANCO (888-724-2626).

Happening: June 3-5, 2022. This event led by teens for teens and is an experiential retreat designed to demonstrate God's unconditional love and acceptance for all of us. The weekend includes talks, large and small group discussions, music, worship, and fun! Click here for more information and registration. Questions? Contact Youth Missioner Megan Dern at mdern@diosova.org or 757-423-8287.