In his own words - An Interview with Hugh Rennie

Hugh Rennie has been one of Ooch’s most involved and inspired champions since its earliest days in the 1980s. Wearing many hats, he has served as a Camp Director, volunteer, fundraiser, donor, board member, and board chair. “We started with people who were loyal, caring, and positive,” he says. “That was the foundation of Ooch.” That foundation remains the same way today—and that culture of care and positivity has kept volunteers and donors like Hugh engaged throughout the years.

Campers and their parents felt the loving atmosphere right from the beginning, recalls Hugh. “Parents understood that their kids were moving from the scary atmosphere of a hospital to a place where they could experience the magic of camp, while still being cared for.”

The power of camp for children affected by childhood cancer was clear to Hugh: “I’ve been involved with camps since my student days. Even before I got involved with Ooch, I knew how much it could help kids, especially kids with more specific needs.” During Ooch’s first summers—when programs were taking place alongside summer vacationers at Geneva Park resort—Hugh worked tirelessly to foster feelings of community and good cheer, Ooch traditions that are still going strong. When Geneva Park guests asked how they could help, he recognized that the power of camp was contagious.

Over the years, Hugh observes that growth and change have been a constant for Ooch. The first big change was leaving Geneva Park for Rosseau Lake College. “Within five years of that move, we needed renovations and more space. In 2004, we purchased our own site to keep camp in Muskoka, which enabled Ooch to grow rapidly and serve more children and families. Cancer is a challenge across Canada, and Ooch can help more kids.”

That vision of extending support to more children and families across Ontario is shared by three generations of the Rennie family—all of whom are passionate volunteers and fundraisers. Hugh’s basement housed an early Ooch office, his daughters were camp counsellors, and today, his granddaughters continue the family tradition, hosting fundraising events at school. Every year, “Team Rennie” comes together to run the Sporting Life 10k to support Camp Ooch.

Hugh stays in touch with many members of the Ooch community, and is still as connected and caring as ever: “I know we have impacted lives. Ooch is just a happy, positive place to be. It’s full of love and dedication, and a commitment to helping kids with cancer just be kids, and providing a perfect place to grow.”

Hugh coined the Ooch motto that endures today: You fail only when you fail to try. Act as if it were impossible to fail and it will be.