Matthew Cannold
Bringing The Magic Of Camp To South Florida And Boca Raton
A Northeastern-style summer camp in South Florida?
Since 1998, Founder/Director Matthew Cannold and Eagles Landing Camps (ELC) and the Night Owls inCoconut Creek have offered just that: the magic of daily and weekly resident camping,complete with Color War, Song Fest, Apache Relay and the everyday miracles that only a Northeasteastern-style camping experience can provide.
“As a second-generation camp director, I have been fortunate enough to work for the legends of the camping industry, Ben Applebaum; Morry Stein; and, of course, my father, who owned Breezemont Day Camp in Armonk, New York, from the early ’70s to the late ’80s. There were no shortcuts. My father made me work in every area of camp to learn firsthand what it took,” says Cannold, who credits his work with the best camps in the Northeast for the success of ELC and the Night Owls. “But my favorite part of Northeastern camping is the lifetime memories and friendship it creates.”
He adds: “Besides the amazing facility, located on the grounds of the North Broward Preparatory School, what makes ELC a way of life is our full-time staff. Our directors, Bobby and TraciCiccone, actually met at camp in 1999 and are the first ELC marriage. They not only have two ELC children, Carly and Brayden, but are the glue that holds this amazing ELC family together.”
Together with Brandon Boston, who started as a 19-year-old and now is the director of the newest ELC program, Eagles LandingInternational, and Liza “The Machine” Vestal, who not only runs the entire camp office but is a full-time director, “we have one of the most experienced administrations anywhere,” Cannold says.
“No words can express how fortunate and lucky I am to have a second ‘camp family’ to enjoy ELC. The cherry on top is having my daughtersDrew and Ava Cannold working on staff now.”
Cannold says it’s hard for him to believe the camps have been around since 1998, but the true test of a great camp are the tears.
“It’s bittersweet at the end of every summer as they flow from just about everyone’s eyes,” he says.
Eagles Landing Camps are located at 7600 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek. For more information, call 954-571-8709 or visit kidsloveelc.com.
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