A memorable summer!

Dear friends of the Camping & Education Foundation,

By now you may have heard that life up on Rainy Lake was a little different this summer. Heavy winter snow and near constant spring rain led to a watershed that was unrelenting to the Rainy River basin. By mid-June we had breached the historical peak set in 1950 and what in early spring looked like a repeat of 2014, evolved into a flood never seen before in the area. Rainy Lake crested at almost seven feet above its normal level and, sadly, much of the local community was severely impacted.

Our staff rallied to the occasion. Over the course of two months, from mid-May to mid-July, staff and campers laid, and then later removed, over 10,000 sandbags containing 1.2 million pounds of sand. Their relentless work protected our water, septic systems, and power grid and saved countless docks and program areas. In addition, our staff volunteered in Ranier and International Falls, spending about 400 hours protecting homes from the rising waters by providing community service work that they found extremely meaningful.

Of course, camp would not be camp without campers, trips, tetherball, Little Council and so much more. The water fell as fast as it rose, and by the final week of camp, life on Rainy Lake was largely back to normal. What started out as a challenging summer ended on the highest of notes.

Ogichi was able to complete both sessions and sent out 37 trips, including navigating the Missinaibi from Lake Superior to James Bay. The in-camp program created a memorable, accomplishment-filled season for all campers.

Kooch-i-ching welcomed 59 first-session campers to the second session, sending 35 trips into the wilderness. The Seniors spent a combined 40 days out on trips, exploring the Missinaibi, Seal and Knife rivers.

Owakonze hosted three groups in partnership with Adventure Crew and Xavier University from Cincinnati, and Operation Breakthrough from Kansas City. All participants were awestruck by the beauty and history of this unique place.

The Urban Wilderness Program hit the ground running three days after camp ended, building boats in the Chicago area with Open Lands Nature Conservancy. This is an exciting start to a year where over 1000 kids will get to experience the pride of accomplishment all of our programs offer.

The summer of 2022 will definitely go down in history as a summer to remember, one where our camp community overcame all odds to fulfill our mission to deliver unforgettable wilderness experiences to campers and staff alike.

Hope to see many of you at a camp gathering or out on the road this fall!

Seek the joy!

—Hugh

WINTER HEADQUARTERS

3515 Michigan Avenue

Cincinnati, OH 45208

(513) 772-7479