_{ABOVE: Campers share their joy after completing three legs of the Camp Howard Zip line. Counselor and Zip Line leaders back row.}

I sat next to a young camper who had just finished the zip line at Camp Howard. I was taking pictures and watching the kids, which they enjoyed. The camper turns to me and says, “I really enjoyed this week, it was incredibly fun.” I asked him if he had been to camp before and he said he had been last year but this year he was in an older cabin group, got to zip line and do the big swing and he just had such a good time. It made me very happy that he expressed that feeling with me and did not keep his joy to himself. It is always meaningful to me when I know the kids are having a great time. It makes the effort worth it.

The zip line is a program improvement project funded through Champions of Faith, the chief fundraising project of CYO/Camp Howard. Half the money from the event goes to scholarships, a quarter to program improvement and a quarter to endowment. This year’s event will be held at the Avenue Portland (across from the Convention Center) on October 13, 2026. It is a fun event and we always have room for more!

Enjoy the following photos of young people learning new skills, building confidence, trying something difficult, sharing something with others, becoming better people:

_{Above: Campers enjoy the thrill of completing the Camp Howard zip line.}