Best Friends Forever


Early in the process of writing A Hero's Journey: From Little Norway to Olympia Sports Camp, I sought stories from Olympians in a chapter that will be called The Soul of Olympia. Good friend and week 9 rugby coach Erin Murphy provided me a story. When Erin's friend Maggie Murch forwarded her this letter after mailing it to Dave Grace in the spring of 2019, Erin said she should send it to me and get it in the book. I'm glad Erin believed in this process and proud that Maggie is sharing this beautiful letter. I am humbled to be able to share it.

 


Hi Dave,

I am a former Olympia camper and counsellor (1989) and I wanted to reach out to let you know this story.

Although I wasn’t a long time counsellor, just one summer - 1989, Olympia had a big impact on my life as I think working there has for a lot of people.  After that summer, I started my first year at Western and met another former Olympia counsellor (1988), Dana Stephenson, through the Olympia network of folks at Western and we became best friends, roommates and even moved to BC around the same time.  Very sadly, in 2007, Dana passed away from cancer at a very young age.  At that time I had a one year old and was pregnant with my second.  Dana, while not having a lot of assets to leave behind, left both of my kids money in her will to go to camp one summer.  She said to me before she passed, of course I “hope it is Olympia” but in case you still live in BC, as long as they go to a camp.  

I have enrolled my 12 and 13 year olds at Olympia this summer with this money and we are flying back from BC in August to go and I am sure that I am more excited than they are (simply because they have no idea yet of the experience they will have).

I just wanted you to know Dave, that even as a 47 year old adult, and clearly Dana felt the same way, the camp that you have created, nourished and loved for all of these years, really has such an impact on people and kids for a lifetime.  So thank you for all that you have done with this camp and I am sure Dana would absolutely love to know that my kids are going to our favourite place and I hope that they might work there one day too.  And I know she would be happy that I passed along this message to you as well.

Thank you Dave and see you August 11th!  (wish I could stay the week with them there too!  haha)

Best regards,

Maggie (Murray) Murch

 

                                                Maggie and Dana on Maggies wedding day 2003




 

The link to the blog is TuesdayswithDave.blogspot.com

This blog is about the journey of the writing of the book A Hero's Journey: From Little Norway to Olympia Sports Camp. The blog will contain excerpts from the book and my personal thoughts on what the place and the people that make up Olympia's journey is all about. The title comes from the great book Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom. The blog's title is recognizing Dave Grace as Camp Director, but all content is my own. 

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