Banner Day Camp Supports SCOPE
This summer, Banner campers and staff will participate in our Amazing Raise for SCOPE from June 30 through July 3! Together as a group, they will compete in fun activities including timed challenges all around camp. The groups with the lowest final time at the end of the challenge will be crowned the winners! Banner will make a donation on behalf of each winning group to support SCOPE Midwest. All Banner campers will also participate in a special activity that week.Â
We invite you to support our efforts in helping to send children from the most under-resourced Chicago communities to nonprofit overnight camps by becoming a sponsor or making a donation. Every dollar raised will go directly to sending a child to a nonprofit, ACA-accredited, SCOPE Midwest partner camp. For $750, a child will be able to spend two weeks at overnight summer camp – many of whom are from neighborhoods in the inner city of Chicago plagued by gang and gun violence. This time away from the daily challenges of their environment is truly transformative.Â
At Banner, we believe in the transformative value of a summer spent at a well-organized camp. SCOPE Midwest helps to ensure that children from under-resourced communities have the chance to attend overnight summer camp. SCOPE Midwest is unique in that once a child attends camp, they are able to continue attending for as many years as they are registered in school. Camp experiences provide opportunities to build confidence, make new friends, and develop important 21st century skills that are instrumental in future successes.Â
Your support of SCOPE Midwest will help pave the path to camp and beyond for children from under-resourced communities!Â
In Memory of Helen Schwartz
We are deeply saddened by passing of Helen Schwartz on August 5, 2025. Helen and Allen created and opened Banner Day Camp in 1964. While Allen was often the face of Banner, Helen was integral in running every aspect of camp. She was simultaneously tenacious and compassionate. She led the way in ensuring that camp was run with excellence, attention to detail, and love. Allen and Helen spent their life at camp with their children, Stacy Schwartz Kotelov, and the late Bradley Schwartz. As a family, they have inspired and positively impacted the lives of thousands of children and staff. Â
Helen understood the benefits and growth of a summer spent at camp. Help us remember her life and honor her legacy through a donation to SCOPE Midwest. Every dollar raised helps children from under-resourced communities experience that magic and growth while spending the summer outdoors at non-profit, ACA accredited, overnight camps.
Helen’s obituary and service information can be found online at https://www.shalommemorial.org/in-memorial/2025/shalom/Helen-Schwartz/
About SCOPE
Youth, teens, young professionals, and families can create meaningful, impactful, and fun initiatives to raise funds and awareness for SCOPE!