Here’s a fun fact for you…

There are two goats that welcome each and every visitor to Camp Gray. You’ve probably driven past them many times without even giving them a second glance.

Come to Camp Gray, and you pass under a massive arch.

The story of that arch is pretty awesome.

For many, many years, an arch greeted countless Badger football fans at Camp Randall. Students, alums, and fans would pass under that arch, excited to see Ron Dayne run for the Heisman, or to cheer on Russel Wilson as he tore up the Badger passing records, or to cheer on Barry Alvarez as he coached yet another Badger team to the Rose Bowl.
If that arch could talk, oh the stories it would share.

A few years back, UW Madison looked to replace the arch. They reached out to Endres Manufacturing in Waunakee and asked that they create a new arch to welcome their legion of fans.

If you aren’t from Waunakee, you may not know of Endres, and if you don’t know of Endres, you won’t know of their affinity for goats. Drive into Waunakee on State Highway Q, and the first thing you’ll notice is a goat-filled park next to a Bavarian looking building. Endres, the world’s greatest steel manufacturer, handles everything from large construction projects all the way down to individual beams for home builders.
And they love goats. We won’t get into the details here, but suffice it to say, from the beginning, Endres and goats have gone hand in hand.

Endres Manufacturing has played a massively huge role in the success of Camp Gray over the past 30+ years. Stand atop the basketball court, turn a complete circle, and in every direction, the fingerprints of Endres can be found.

When Endres removed the archway from Camp Randall, Sam Ballweg, the President of Endres, knew of a place that could use an arch.
One of Endres’ employees, Nick Ballweg (who just so happened to be a Summer Camp Staff Member at Camp Gray back in the day!), took the reins, converting “Camp Randall” to “Camp Gray”, and he added the Endres goats on either side for good measure.

We’re immensely proud to be associated with the great work that is done at Endres Manufacturing in Waunakee, WI. Many, many thanks to Endres Manufacturing for the countless ways you’ved supported Camp Gray over the past many decades.

Next time you come to Camp Gray, as you pass under the massive arch, look for the goats. You’ll miss them if you’re not looking, but they’re there, welcoming you to Camp Gray.

Oh, and by the way, the goats don’t have names… Maybe you could help us remedy that issue. Please send your suggestions!