Kissing a fish is a tradition started by Cordell Brown over 50 years ago. Because the number of fish were decreasing in our fishing pond, fewer and fewer fish were being kissed by our campers. To fix the problem, Echoing Hills had to bring in an expert, Jeff Saunders, who has fishing experience in a dozen states, and at least one ocean. Jeff has lived at Echoing Hills for many years. He is passionate about fishing and wanted to help make sure our campers had plenty of great experiences off the fishing dock at Camp Echoing Hills. Over the summer, working on hot days, humid days, rainy days, and days that were perfect for fishing, Jeff restocked the pond.

When we asked Jeff why he worked so hard on this project his reply was from the heart. “I just want people to have fun fishing,” said Jeff, “I love fishing, and if there’s anything I can do to help others, I want to help.” Jeff continues to monitor the population of our pond to make sure that everyone has the best possible experience. Jeff is not only as amazing fisherman, but truly has a passion to serve individuals at Camp Echoing Hills. In spite of his disability, he has a way of making everyone’s day a little brighter.

If you are looking for the perfect opportunity to volunteer or work as paid staff during the summer, check out our volunteer program. You can change a life by lending your helping hands to Camp Echoing Hills. This opportunity is life-changing
not only for those you serve, but for YOU!

You might even decide to try our “Kissing the Fish” tradition for yourself!