Former campers plan to reunite to wax nostalgic about their summer days spent at the beloved and now-defunct Reisterstown camp.
Carly Cierler Greenberg cherishes her Camp Milldale memories.
She went to the Reisterstown summer day camp from 1993 to 2001, first as a camper and then as a staff member. Greenberg loved the 150-acre camp’s lush, rolling hills and slew of fun-filled activities, and she made great, lasting friendships there.
Little did she know that fellow camper Jeff Greenberg whom she met in 1994 would later become her camp co-worker and then her husband.
Milldale, which was operated by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore, stopped being used as a day camp in 2015 and was absorbed by the Pearlstone Center. But the memories of good times linger on for Carly Greenberg and many others.
Greenberg decided to bring back some of that old Milldale spirit and camaraderie for one special night. She is part of a group planning a Milldale reunion at Bill Bateman’s Bistro, at 102 Chartley Drive in Reisterstown, on Oct. 14, starting at 7 p.m. and going for as long as people want to schmooze and hang out.
The reunion specifically will bring together former campers and staff who went to Milldale from 1990 to 2000, but Greenberg says anyone who ever went to the camp is welcome to attend.
“I want people to have that feeling back,” Greenberg says. “Take one night to get away from reality and remember the best time of our lives and feel like a kid. I’m sure there’s [going to be] lots of talking and memories.”
Founded in 1953 and originally located on Keyser Road in Stevenson, Camp Milldale operated at 5425 Mount Gilead Road from 1966 to 2015. The camp focused on providing a Jewish environment for campers in a fun setting. Campers could enjoy arts and crafts, take part in ropes courses, hit the “lake” and go canoeing, swim, play various types of sports and spend their summer days on a beautiful expanse of land.
Jenifer Sirkis is part of the small group working with Greenberg on planning the reunion, along with Cara Jacobson Metzger, Shelby Sirkis Dorich and former camp director Leslie Kepes Pomerantz. Sirkis said she can’t wait to see who shows up for the reunion.
“I think it’s great,” Sirkis says. “We always said that camp was some of the best summers of our childhoods. I’m glad that Carly made the decision to finally do it.”
Sirkis, whose mother was a camp unit head, spent her summers at Milldale from 1990 to 2001 as a camper and later a counselor. She says campers and staff loved Milldale largely because of the setting — the hills, trees, bunkhouses, pavilions and places to just sit and talk on days when the weather wasn’t so nice.
“It was just a really fun environment,” says Sirkis.
As of early September, Greenberg and Sirkis said they were still not certain how many people might attend the reunion, but they estimate somewhere around 50. They’ve been promoting it through word-of-mouth and on social media (check out their “Camp Milldale Reunion 2017” Facebook page).
“When I got the committee together, it was [about rekindling] friendships,” Greenberg says. “We were able to start talking again and pick right back up. Talking about old campers, old staff members [was fun].”
Jay Schreider served as Milldale’s director from 1988 to 1992 and spent plenty of time there, starting with his two years as a camper followed by seven summers as a counselor. Schreider says he loves the reunion concept.
“I think lots of camps have reunions like that because there’s lots of fond memories you have of your days there.” Schreider says. “It’s a great idea any time you can get people together and reminisce about great memories.”
Greenberg predicts that the conversations at the reunion will likely feel like little time has passed since attendees’ camp days.
“We’ll just catch up with people and see what they’re doing now, what they’ve turned out like,” Greenberg says. “We’ll make connections and rekindle old friendships.”
Jeff Seidel is a Baltimore-based freelance writer and a former Milldale camper.
Top photo: Campers at Camp Milldale, courtesy of Carly Cierler Greenberg.
Are you a former Milldale camper? We want to hear all about it! Share your memories with us at facebook.com/jmoreliving and twitter.com/jmoreliving with #MilldaleMemories
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