Life in the Fast Cart: A Maintenance Memoir

As Session 3 and 3a roll toward the end of the week, Camp is bursting with joyful momentum. Our Session 3a campers in the units of Nitzanim and Carmel are soaking up their final full days — from dancing through garden parties to getting gloriously messy with paint at Gnarly and sharing bunk traditions that build lasting bonds. Meanwhile, other campers are adventuring across the Sierra Nevada on multi-day backpacking treks, rising with the sun and sleeping under starry skies.

Back at Camp, the energy is high. Campers are diving into Livnot and Chugim skill-building electives activities like printmaking, wearable art, and ultimate frisbee — exploring new skills and expressing themselves in creative and active ways. Expanding campers’ horizons in this way is core to the rung of our mission focused on building self-esteem. 

In other areas of Camp, the Tuolumne River is full of swimmers, the Garden Kitchen wafts with the scents of fresh herbs and challah dough, and Ruach (spirit) Hour is echoing with joyful song and Jewish learning. All around us, summer is alive with connection, curiosity, and fun.

And behind it all, often quite literally, there’s one team keeping the gears turning — tools in hand, music up loud, golf cart (mostly) in gear.

This one’s for them.

Maintenance: The Backbone of Camp

The Maintenance Department is a crew of 11 sharp, skilled, and spirited staff who work around the clock to keep Tawonga running. Tawonga is proud that the majority of our maintenance and kitchen teams are comprised of alumni – unlike many camps who outsource this labor outside of the community. Our maintenance crew fixes, builds, cleans, delivers, hauls, inspects, repairs, restores, removes, and reinforces — and still finds time to joke around while doing it. 

They’re led by three seasoned supervisors — Aria M, Jacob “Cob” LW, and Max J — who bring deep institutional knowledge, technical expertise, and strong shoulders for lifting very heavy things.

Their coverage is massive: buildings, bathrooms, roads, water systems, tool sheds, vehicles, outdoor kitchens, solar panels — if something exists at Tawonga, Maintenance has probably repaired it, moved it, or hosed it down.

The department motto?
“Look good, feel good, look good, safety.”
It’s a lifestyle.

What Even Is a “Normal” Maintenance Day?

We asked the team to describe a typical work day — and the truth is, there’s no such thing. Most mornings begin with “rounds,” a camp-wide check of everything from leaky faucets to squeaky doors and missing gear. After that, the day could include refilling propane tanks, repairing trail signs, thoroughly cleaning bathrooms (because a deep clean day is definitely a bad day to be a toilet), breaking down and resetting tables in the Dining Hall, delivering picnic benches, or responding to walkie calls like “There’s a frog in the sink again.”

And that’s just a glimpse of their full workload. Through it all, the crew keeps their spirits high and the playlist louder.

“We can get down and dirty, while being silly.”
— Phoebe M., Maintenance Crew

The Other Side of Maintenance Life

Camp life is full of surprises, and the Maintenance crew has seen it all — especially when it comes to their arch-nemesis: Grape Day. You might think it’s just a fun, fruity, refreshing snack choice, but for Maintenance, it’s anything but. Cleaning the Dining Hall afterward is a sticky, relentless battle, with grape juice residue that seems to last forever and turns mopping into a serious challenge.

Despite all that, campers have noticed the crew’s good vibes and killer playlist:

“The maintenance staff listens to cool music, so I listen to cool music.”
— Klara C., G-8A

“They are my favorite staff’s favorite staff.”
— Leila S., G-8A

“I like going to the bathroom during lunch so I can watch the maintenance staff clean.”
— Four anonymous campers, unprompted

And yes — the team definitely appreciates it when campers remember to flush.

The Classic Maintenance Look

Uniform? Not quite — but the team definitely has a signature style. You’ll spot Carhartts or Dickies paired with well-worn Chelsea boots, belt radios clipped on for quick comms, and a wrench or two tucked into pockets for fast fixes. And yes, there’s usually a light dusting of sawdust or a splash of mop water to complete the look.

Their trusty sidekicks? A steady stream of Gatorade, rags in hand, and spray bottles never far behind.

It’s a perfect blend of function and flair — all guided by their motto:
“Look good, feel good, look good, safety.”

The Summer Playlist You Didn’t Know You Needed

The only thing more iconic than a Maintenance outfit is their soundtrack. Whether they’re power-washing the pool or gliding through the back of Camp in the cart, the team always rolls with music blasting — a playlist that spans all kinds of tunes, expertly curated by the coolest crew, capturing the very sound of summer at camp.

Here’s the official 2025 Maintenance Summer Playlist:

Ask any camper who has walked past the cart: Maintenance has the best music on site.

Holding It All Together

It’s easy to take running water and working lights for granted — until they’re gone. But the Maintenance Team is always a walkie call away, often fixing issues before most of us even notice them.

They work behind the scenes so Camp life can shine out front. And they do it with skill, humor, humility, and a wrench in hand.

So if you see a golf cart rolling by — full of tools, a new mop, and Brandy playing at full volume — give a wave. That’s not just a team of staff. That’s the reason camp works.