2016

DOUBLE H RANCH

Double H Ranch, in Lake Luzerne, NY, is a summer and winter camp for children with life threatening illnesses as well as children on the Autism Spectrum.  It was founded in 1992 by Charles R. Wood and Paul Newman.  
I began volunteering at Double H on weekends during my Sophomore year at Hamilton College through the Hamilton Association of Volunteering, Outreach, and Charity (HAVOC).  On these weekends, I would stay at the camp and teach kids how to ski at the camp's private hill.  I taught both physically capable kids and kids who required specialized ski equipment various skills on the slope.  As a lifelong skier, I greatly enjoyed this experience, especially when I could see the pure joy light up the handicapped kids' faces as they zoomed down the hill.  Although I have not managed to make it back up to the camp in recent years due to scheduling issues, I would jump at any chance to go back there in the future.