On January 6, 1999, then-Ohio Congressman Rob Portman stood before his colleagues in the US House of Representatives to pay tribute to one of Cincinnati’s “finest citizens.” He was speaking about longtime Kooch-i-ching Director John Holden, who had recently succumbed to cancer at the age of 75.

In the summer, you’re likely to find him leading a postprandial paddling session, poring over maps in the Map Room, fixing zippers in the Trip Center, or ripping across Rainy Lake in his Boston Whaler.

As the true impact of the vote reverberated across the call, the disappointment was immense. At the same time, we took comfort in knowing that we had made the correct decision.

“We are going through an incredible amount of contingency planning. We have to prioritize the health and safety of campers, staff and the community. We have a relationship with International Falls, and it's a relationship we respect.”

In the early 2000s, a small group of people had a dream—a dream based on the belief that girls would find joy in the same wilderness trips and in-camp experiences offered to boys at Camp Kooch-i-ching.