Expedition 2016 Campaign Raises $10.5 Million

By Hugh Haller

By all accounts, the Expedition 2016 campaign was a resounding success. Launched in 2011, the campaign raised more than $10.5 million from over 150 supporters. The scope of what was achieved is as impressive as the community of donors.

First and foremost, we built Ogichi’s entire campus: over 30 buildings and a tapestry of docks, pathways and landscaping to tie them all together. With its new campus and already vibrant program, Ogichi is now best-in-class among wilderness camps for young women.

We also acquired what is now the Foundation House on the former Helleloid property on Rainy Lake, as well as the Foundation’s winter headquarters in Cincinnati’s Hyde Park. The campaign also paid for major improvements to Kooch-i-ching’s Deer Island campus, including renovations to the Dining Hall, upgrades to the main dock area, and the construction of the Welcome Center and three log cabins in the Senior Camp.

At the Foundation level, three new endowments were established to honor three cherished alumni: the Dexter Davison Advanced Tripping Endowment, the William Johnson Educational Endowment and the Ronald Coleman Staff Development Endowment.

Last but not least, we commissioned a new “big boat” from marine architects in New Orleans and Duluth, Minnesota. A tribute to the Kooch II, the Endeavour brings back the fun and adventure of cruising down Rainy Lake after finishing a canoe trip—a hero’s return to camp. Now if only we could put the canoes on the roof like in the old days! Thank you to everyone who made the Expedition 2016 campaign possible.

This article was originally published in the 2018 Annual Report.