Bruce Rasmussen was hired as a 22-year-old Crafts and Nature Director in the summer of 1970 and continued to work every summer through 1991, as he had summers ‘off’ due to being a teacher. In those 22 years, he was everything from the Nature Director to the Program Director–with many […]

Meet Calie Herbst, Minikani Alum and camp parent! Many of you may know Calie through her website, Miltown Moms, ( www.miltownmoms.com) a wonderful resource for Milwaukee area parents that details fun activities and events to do with kids. If you don’t know Calie due to Miltown Moms, it’s probably because […]

Simply giving a young person the opportunity to attend Camp Minikani can change their life. When Perry Bump was eight years old, his mother Betty discovered a program offered by the local YMCA that helped kids attend camp. The premise behind the ‘Cookies for Camp’ program was simple-sell cookies and […]

Community. Responsibility. Leadership. Life-long friendships. Nina Shully Darling began camp as a nine-year-old camper in the mid 90’s and ended in 2008 as the Girls Unit Director. Her experience was ‘indescribable’ and the support, values, and qualities she learned at camp transformed her not only as an adolescent but as […]

Brian Kramp came out to camp a couple weeks before our 100th Anniversary and it was a ton of fun! Make sure to click on the link provided to watch all the clips. YMCA Camp Minikani’s 100th Anniversary Celebration will take place August 24th and 25th, 2019. At the celebration, […]

In advance of YMCA Camp Minikani’s 100th anniversary celebration, I toured the camp I attended as a Milwaukee city youth decades ago acquiring my first extended experience in what seemed like the wilds of Wisconsin. That same sense of adventure and new experiences thrives today at the 150-acre camp in […]

Kevin Wright and Andy Gehl were both campers, counselors, and Ad staff at camp for years. Their summer homeland had a direct impact on not only who they are, but what they do. They are the founders of Third Space Brewing and are dedicated to making great beer, but also […]

Introducing Céline Groman, one of our counselors. The prose below is from her mom, Sylvie Groman. Thank you, Sylvie and Celine, for sharing your story! Céline was born and raised in Paris, France. Like her sister Emma, she grew up speaking English at home and French at school. After primary […]

He was nervous and homesick when he first attended camp as a nine-year-old, unsure of himself and his surroundings. Slowly but surely, he forged a path with the help of counselors that became future mentors that encouraged him to grow from camper to counselor and later Summer Camp Director. His […]