Mission & History

History of the Holly Outdoor Recreation Coalition

In May of 2010, several active members of the Holly community attended a meeting of the Carry Nation Festival committee. At that time, the festival was suffering from lack of financial and volunteer support, and following that particular meeting, the festival (which had been part of Holly’s identity for more than 30 years, and nearly 100 years since Ms. Nation’s historic visit) was suspended indefinitely.

These individuals, however, weren’t content with their disappointment in the demise of the Carry Nation Festival, and knowing how important these kinds of events are to a community, decided to think up other aspects of Holly that could be celebrated. In that process, these volunteers realized how many resources for outdoor recreation the Holly community has, as well as how much these resources could be improved and how much potential the community wasn’t capitalizing on.

This realization started the wheels going in this group of volunteers; it took little time before they started turning these ideas into actions, and actions into results. In early 2011, the Holly Outdoor Recreation Coalition (HORC) was incorporated as a non-profit organization in Holly, Mich.

Our Mission

The mission of the Holly Outdoor Recreation Coalition is to promote outdoor recreation and activities, health and wellness, education and conservation of natural resources, and small-town community building through rural advocacy in Northwest Oakland County.

What does that mission statement mean? Simply, it means that the HORC is dedicated to work to promote all of the fantastic outdoor activities the Holly community has to offer, and to work with local governments, organizations and individuals to grow and improve our recreation opportunities for residents and guests alike.