SPECIAL TRIBUTE
To CAMP ECHO
LET IT BE KNOWN, That it is with deep appreciation that we commend the management and staff of Camp Echo as 2024 marks one hundred years since this exemplary establishment started hosting campers on the shores of Ryerson Lake in Fremont, Michigan. We are proud to recognize the significant role this branch of the McGaw Young Men’s Christian Association has played in the lives of campers and staff alike. For one century, Camp Echo has sought to cultivate personal growth in young men, women, and their families, and foster community, all through transformational experiences which leave lifetime memories.
As one of America’s longest-running YMCA camps in the nation, Camp Echo bears a storied history. Camp Echo began its operations in Holland at Black Lake, presently called Lake Macatawa, back in 1902. Three years later, it moved to White Lake near Montague, then relocated to Bear Lake near Muskegon in 1906, then established itself on Portage Lake in Onekama in 1911. There it remained through 1923 until it would find its present home on Ryerson Lake, nestled into a beautiful, wooded peninsula Since then, it has expanded to include a Girls Camp and Family Camp, as part of its commitment to ensuring fair access for everyone to the special experiences unique to summer camp. Now, Camp Echo boasts lodging for nearly 300 campers on 500 scenic acres and hosts over 1500 campers annually.
Camp Echo affords young people an opportunity to “unplug” and form meaningful relationships – something unique and sorely needed in an increasingly digital age where kids are growing more disconnected from one another. Campers step outside the world of screens and into the wilderness, embarking on hiking excursions, tackling high-ropes courses, enjoying new sights and sounds on canoe trips, and bonding over meals and conversation at campfires. Through exploring these new worlds together, the campers expand their imaginations and cultivate community in a fun and safe environment.
IN SPECIAL TRIBUTE, Therefore, This document is signed and dedicated to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of Camp Echo’s operations on Ryerson Lake. Today we offer hearty congratulations alongside campers, staff, alumni and community members, and we wish the camp well as it seeks to positively impact the lives of the next generation.
Joseph D. Fox, State Representative
The One Hundred and First District
Rick Outman, State Senator
The Thirty-Third District
Garlin Gilchrist II Gretchen Whitmer Lieutenant Governor GovernorThe One Hundred and Second Legislature At Lansing Saturday, May 25, 2024