Summer Jam 2026
Camp Tanager's First Annual Summer Jam
Camp Tanager hosted the first annual Summer Jam on Saturday August first from 11:00AM - 1:00PM. This free event featured family-friendly activities like swimming, inflatables, face painting, giveaways, food, archery instruction, and more. Camp Tanager is currently celebrating it’s first century of addressing disruptive actions, behaviors, and emotions in children. They also teach important life skills, and prepare children and teens to make positive decisions in the future while giving parents the information needed to understand how mental health affects their child’s development and well being. The camp was known as Camp Good Health prior to 1926. At Camp Good Health they would nurse malnourished kids back to health. To this day they still host camps that help kids with Diabetes and Hemophilia.
Roger Poole makes a balloon horse while working for Living Characters owner Virginia Poole. Roger and Virginia served about 300 people on Saturday. Aside from selling balloon animals at events such as Summer Jam the people at Living Creations also teach kids how to make balloon swords, puppy dogs, and bows and arrows at schools and libraries.
Camp Tanager employee Amira Luensman shows Jadelyn Townsend how to shoot a bow and arrow. Luensman has worked for Camp Tanager for the last five years.
Paisley Campbell gets her face painted by Designs by Lori co-owner Ann Mackenzie. Mackenzie started Designs by Lori with her mom, Lori Strasburger 17 years ago.
Discover Health Chiropractic Marketing Coordinator Alex oestreich tells some potential customers about Discover Health Chiropractic and it’s parent company Max Living. Discover Health Chiropractic’s doctor Matthew Dietz has served as the chiropractor for Team USA Wrestling and adjusted athletes during both the 2012 Olympics in London, and the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Cedar Rapids Public Library employee Meredith Ash hands a piece of artwork to Amelia Alvear during Camp Tanager’s first annual Summer Jam on Saturday August first. Ash has worked for the library for the last seven years, and says that her favorite thing about working for the library is being able to help other people.
Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinios Community Engagement Manager for Benton, Linn, Iowa, Johnson, and Cedar Counties Grace Coffman puts a bracelet on Amelia Alvear. Coffman has worked for the Girl Scouts for the last six months, and was herself a Girl Scout from ages five to twelve.
(left to right) Brothers Adler Foreman, Graham Foreman, and Cael Foreman cook hamburgers and hotdogs while volunteering to work at Summer Jam. The brother’s mom Mary Foreman was in charge of the event.
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