Our Story
Founders
Max and Marion Caldwell founded Kennolyn in 1946 with a vision for a children's camp. Over the years, they saw that vision flourish as one of the most acclaimed children's camps in the world. Kennolyn has grown to include overnight, day and family camps, has spread to 450 privately-owned acres and each summer, makes a difference in over 2,000 children's lives.
Pam Expands
"Aunt Marion and Uncle Max" had the foresight to pass the torch years ago. Their granddaughter, Pam Caldwell Nootbaar, has worked for Kennolyn since 1988. In 1995, she expanded the Caldwell's vision so others could experience Kennolyn through weddings, retreats, and special events, and in 2018, opened a second Overnight Camp on Huntington Lake.
Today
The rest of the Caldwell Family helps Pam keep Kennolyn a family business. Her sister Lindsey Caldwell Johnson, helps run our Overnight Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and her husband Dan is the Director of Kennolyn's Day Camp. The Caldwell's children, Ken and Carolyn (Ken-n-olyn's namesakes and Ken's three children, Pam, Lindsey and Steve sit on the Board of Directors. The nine great-grandchildren actively attend camp or work as camp counselors.
Of course, Kennolyn relies greatly on many long-time, dedicated staff. Most notably, Andrew Townsend who started out as the Camp Storekeeper in 1985, later became the Camps Director, and most recently General Manager of all Kennolyn's operations. His family has all contributed to Kennolyn's success including his daughter, Samantha, who is our Director of Overnight Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains.