Danny Martin at MDA Camp = 1984 - 1989

This is the final installment of my series on Danny at Camp.  In these years I only attended Camp Hastings (Danny also volunteered at Camp Ravenswood every year), and my last year was 1989, where my pictures end.  These photos are all newly-scanned and as such have not appeared on this site before now.  It's been hard to complete this, having to think of how time has taken him, and so many others, from us all.    

In the 1988 Camp Hastings newspaper, Danny wrote this:  

"It was another week to remember forever; 

another week to realize that whatever is real in life can be found at camp."  

1984 = Danny with dear friend Alvin James

 

1984

1984

1985 = Talking with Lisa Bertolini

1986 = Danny and Alvin in a musical performance

1986 = Danny, Terry Coor, and I putting on another "To Tell the Truth" skit, 

with Jeff Sader as MC, 

with our index fingers raised in homage to Terry

1986 = Danny and Chris Matthews

1986 = Jimmy, Claire, and Danny Martin

1986 = Freddy and Danny Martin, in their magnificent multi-layered skit featuring

an alcoholic Bozo and a bitter Uncle Ned who carries the act but is always in the clown's shadow

1987

1987 = (L to R) Danny, Mike Goodman, Rick Balsamo, and Jeff Sader

1987

1987

1989

"....For eternity, Brother, hail and farewell."
Ave Atque Vale

 

Danny Martin at Camp = 1982-1983

(Some of these photos have appeared elsewhere on this site, and some are newly scanned.)

  

In 1982 MDA Camp Hastings Danny was the cabin leader of Cabins 15 & 16, and the gang included Alvin James, Timmy Sullivan, Kenny Gilford, John Mayer, Steve Netzel, Robin Hewitt, Mike D’Antonio, Jimmy Cofer, and Chris Bouras. 

Alvin James & Danny

Amaal Abdullah & Danny

Danny & John Lianos

Irene Roach & Danny

Kenny Gilford, Danny, & Keith Holt

Sandy Kardaras & Danny

Virginia Smith & Danny

Danny

In 1983 MDA Camp Hastings Danny was the cabin leader of Cabin 13, whose gang included Leon Walker and Ronny Peconio.  Freddy Martin was the cabin leader of the attached Cabin 14 and that gang included Michael Clark, Chris Fair, Danny Scanlon, Calvin Spivey. 

Danny, Calvin Spivey, & Freddy Martin

Danny & Amy Macak

Mike Clark & Danny

Freddy & Danny

Danny Martin at Camp = 1980 - 1981

The Golden Years continued into the 1980s.  In June that summer, once again there were two week-long sessions of MDA Camp.   There were so many camper attendees that year that both sections of Camp Ravenswood, East and West, were needed for the first week session.  The two Ravenswood camp sections were both along the shore of Lake Hastings but were separated by a narrow road a few hundred yards long that ran along the shoreline.  Each camp site had its own dining room, pool, beach, and activities, so the two groups did not mix much during the week.  The one exception was the Carnival Night, which was held at Ravenswood West for both Camp groups. 

I was at Ravenswood West in Cabin Club Babaloo and Danny was at Ravenswood East, but everyone got together for one big, long evening.

Danny hanging out with some Club Babaloo Boys: 
(L to R) standing Cliff Grant, Doug Batesky, and John Mayer,
and sitting Chris Bouras and Jimmy Cofer

A Gathering of Some Old-Timers:
Back Row: Denny Harris, Patti Rogers, Bob Medrala, Tom Musillami Danny Martin,
Terry Rozdolsky, Jeff Sader, Rick Balsamo, & Jimmy Liptak
Front: Bob Secco, Pat Brice, Ron Pudlo, Marion Liptak, Marie Glazer, & Rich Westley

Three Kings of Ravenswood:
Jimmy Liptak, Danny Martin, & Rich Westley

At Camp Hastings Danny teamed up with John Lianos as his attendant, 11 years after John and I were paired up my first week of Camp.  They were in Cabin 18 – Ron’s Dons – with Ron Balsamo as the cabin leader.  The cabin was filled with old timers and they all had a wonderful time together.

Danny Martin & John Lianos

Ron's Dons:
Standing L to R: Jim Holmes, Warren Robinson, Pete Muzzy,
Danny Martin leaning over, Ron Balsamo, Scott Berman, & John Dunham
Sitting: Aaron Adams, Roger Gordon, Eric Cook, John Lianos,
George Jeffries, & Mike Engels

At Carnival:  Danny Martin, Tess Martin, Jeff Sader, & Rick Balsamo

Tell the Camp Truth Skit Impersonating Blanche Hamende:"My name is Blanche -- NO, MY name is Blanche......."
Danny Martin, Rick Balsamo, & Terry Coor

John "The Golden Greek" Lianos & Danny Martin

Throughout the 1980s Danny volunteered for the week at Camp Ravenswood, but not being able to attend those I have no photos.  But at Camp Hastings in June of 1981 Danny and I were cabin leaders at the attached Cabins 15 & 16.  We had a blast.

1981 Cabins 15 & 16
Back L to R: Jon Franke, Keith Kheo, (unidentified), Art Robinson,
Rick Balsamo, Gary Dehne, Juan Martinez, either Mark Curi or Mike Hussey, & Danny Martin.
Front: Aaron Adams, Mike Goodman, Ceodes (Butch) Bolden, Dana Brinkman,
Eric Cook, George Jeffries, John Lianos, & Kevin Brinkman
(Doug Batesky is missing from the photo)

Chris Bouras & Danny Martin
(Taken by me with Danny's camera)

Donna Sandowski, Danny Martin, & Claire Martin

Patty Riley & Danny Martin

Danny Martin as a Bridgeport lady, with Tim Sullivan of Bridgeport

Danny Martin, Loretta Martin, & Rich Westley
(Taken by me with Danny's camera)

Irene Roach & Danny Martin

Danny Martin at Camp = 1978 – 1979

By the late-1970s I was able to only attend some, usually one per year, of the two week-long Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camps in northern Illinois, so I missed many of the weeks Danny attended.  But here is some record of the camps we shared.        

The 1978 Ravenswood West camp was a notable one.  Danny was the leader of a cabin whose permanent name was the Raven’s Nest, and, Danny being Danny, he quickly renamed it The Cuckoos' Nest for the week.  His guys that week, as they had every week, had a blast.  The campers were all veterans, and long-time volunteers in that cabin included Rich Spangler, Brad Levin, and Bob Secco.  That week, Jimmy Liptak was the leader of the cabin next door to Danny’s, Freddy Martin was nearby, and I was the Activities Program Director.  That year, camper attendance was so high that MDA ran a camp at the same time at the nearby Ravenswood East campsite, as well as a full camp the following week at Camp Hastings across Lake Hastings.  The two Ravenswood camps combined their carnival night at the West campsite, which was great since so many of the campers and volunteers were very well known to each other and it was a grand reunion that evening.  I hope to post up later photos from the week at camp, but here in this post I’ll offer a few that featured Danny. 

Randy Smit and Danny Martin in Dueling Kazoos

Danny leading his cabin through the "Papers" skit, with "Godfather" Joey Brown at the center. 
The did the skit, an oldie-but-goodie, entirely in Spanish, which was very avant garde and very funny. 

Jimmy Liptak and Freddy Martin in front of the Cuckoos' Nest

Danny and his "bride" Lisa Bertolini at the Camp send-up of a Las Vegas marriage ceremony. 
They are joined by Patty Davy and Greg Smith on the left of the photo. 

Danny, in his iconic red coat, with Mike Oliver at the Carnival

Danny and the boys.  Among others, Jimmy Liptak and Freddy Martin are on the far left,
and Mike Goodman and Dana Brinkman are sitting far right.

Danny in 1978

In 1978 I was unable to participate in the camp session the following week at Camp Hastings, but I did visit and took some photographs.  

Danny with sister Loretta in 1978 at Camp Hastings

In 1979 at Camp Hastings Danny was cabin leader of a group of teenage boy campers, the age group he usually worked with.  I was nearby as cabin leader of campers a little older.  

Danny entertaining in a skit in 1979 (Photo by Bob Solario)

Danny once again donned the iconic red carnival coat in 1979

Terry Coor was a long-time camp buddy of Danny’s and mine.  He was very funny, and his particular condition rendered his speech pattern fairly identifiable and one Danny, who was great at impersonations, could do well.  My Terry Coor wasn’t bad, and so in 1979 we three decided to be edgy in a send-up of the old “To Tell the Truth” TV show, where three people each asserted he (or she) was a particular person notable for one thing or another.  A panel would ask questions and guess which of the three was truly the person each was claiming to be.  Finally the truth would be revealed.  Well, with some trepidation we put on the skit (as we called such a thing at camp; Danny and I always were amused at how Hollywood types referred to such as a “sketch”).  All three of us kept our right index fingers pointing straight up, as Terry sometimes did when speaking.  Rich Westley served as the game show host who asked the questions.  Well, we did the skit, unscripted, and it was a big hit.  Terry even set up his own joke by rejecting a question and asking Rich to ask him a different question for which, unbeknownst to anyone else, he had a great punch line.  Danny and I, and Rich as the host, went on in later summers to do two more “To Tell the Camp Truth” skits, first with Blanche Hamende (yes, Danny and I wore wigs as we impersonated Blanche and her deep, gravelly voice) and then with Bob Schumacher, and finally a spin off (just like Hollywood!) featuring the Coor Family on “Family Feud.” 

"My name is Terry Coor!" 
No, MY name is Terry Coor!" 
(L to R) Rich Westley, Danny Martin, Terry Coor, & Rick Balsamo

To Tell the Camp Truth with Terry Coor, in 1979