Double H Ranch

Thank you to our friends @krispykreme for their support of @seriousfun_camps and sending some doughnut love to our year-round team! #krispykreme #yummy

Welcome back to the Kindness Countdown! Follow along each week as we share how the Double H community is spreading kindness in their neighborhoods every day, then take their lead to show kindness wherever YOU are this fall. KINDNESS COUNTDOWN WEEK 3: BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR Meet the Skidmore Women’s Soccer Team! As you may know, just a quick car ride South from camp will bring you to Saratoga Springs, NY home of the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds. Or as locals and fans fondly ...know them: the Tbreds. Not only are these women awesome on the field, but they also make a point to show up for their community off the field. In fact, teammates have even made their way up to Double H to participate in Community Work Days, helping us clean up and set up for campers! Coach Largeteau says, Building community connections is important to our program here at Skidmore. We realize the value and power of giving back to those around us and try to help out wherever we can. Though both soccer and camp seasons look a little different this Fall, the team is still hard at work supporting those around them. Last week, the Tbreds got creative during practice and rose to the Kindness Countdown challenge: Be A Good Neighbor. They set out in the neighborhood to spread kindness in their own ways: turning fences into inspiring messages, writing welcoming notes in sidewalk chalk, leaving hopeful flyers on cars, passing out snacks on campus, creating a fun obstacle course for kids, and hiding encouraging post-its wherever you might need them most. It’s hard not to smile when you see their creativity. We hope some of you were able to catch them in action! Thanks for sharing your KINDNESS, Tbreds! Check out our stories for more about the Skidmore Women’s Soccer Team and ways you can join the KINDNESS COUNTDOWN this week! 14 days to go!

What is a Narwhal you ask? Well, it's a medium sized toothed Whale with one large tusk and It lives around the Arctic waters of Greenland and Canada!! You can have your very own Narwhal with a visit to Price Chopper Market 32. Help support camp and pick up one these plush toys today!

Check out our 2020 Summer Virtual Camp Impact Report! Campers, Parents, Counselors and Volunteers agree, "It was a great time and a great way to stay connected!" https://www.doublehranch.org//2020-summer-virtual-ca/9408/

Double H Ranch went Virtual this past summer and our Amazing Campers shared some Amazing Talent!! Remember, today might be rainy but, "There's Always Been a Rainbow Hangin' Over Your Head." @Kacey Musgraves Thank you to our camper "Zippy" for sharing your talent!

https://mailchi.mp/double/camp-updates-from-double-h-ranch

We’re excited to keep the Kindness Countdown rolling! Follow along each week as we share how the Double H community is spreading kindness in their neighborhoods every day, then take their lead to show kindness wherever YOU are this fall. KINDNESS COUNTDOWN WEEK 2: SHARE WHAT YOU CAN Meet Melissa! She was part of the Double H team for five summers as a counselor, volunteer, and program staff. In fact, you may recognize her as your 2013 Outdoor Extreme guide! Growing up just ...minutes from where the Appalachian Trail crosses through New York, she’s always had a strong appreciation for nature and plants. Long past are her days in the Outdoor Extreme shed, but Melissa now works for a nonprofit located not far from camp called Capital Roots. The organization runs multiple programs aimed at providing accessible fresh produce and building beautiful green spaces for their community. In her role, Melissa helps organize and maintain 55 community gardens in the area! This Spring, Melissa was able to start a plot of her own in one of the gardens. She quickly noticed two things: 1. There was extra produce being harvested all the time (we’re talking hundreds of pounds!) 2. Gardeners LOVE to share with each other, but also with the whole neighborhood. Inside the gardens, people will often swap their abundance of vegetables for bouquets of flowers, seeds for next season, and advice on growing. Outside the gates, anyone spotted sitting on their porch, walking a dog, or just passing by rarely leaves the premises empty handed. People are consistently offered a bounty of squash, kale, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, and much more. This summer, Capital Roots went one step further by creating Little Free Produce Stands outside a few of their gardens. The stands are designated spots where gardeners can leave their extra produce for whoever wants it, free-of-charge. Melissa says, We love to share what we grow. And if someone else can enjoy the food, that’s great too! Thanks for sharing your KINDNESS, Melissa! Check out our stories for more about Melissa’s garden and ways you can join the KINDNESS COUNTDOWN this week! 28 days to go!

This Sunday at 6pm, @seriousfun_camps is hosting a 100% FREE online global celebration of camp called SeriousFun for All - AND YOU'RE INVITED! You and your family can tune in to see our SeriousFun Campers bring the talent and fun as they're joined by a star studded cast featuring Jimmy Fallon, Renée Zellweger, Allison Janney, Keb' Bo', Sting, and many more. All you have to do is... 1. Watch this fun trailer to get excited! 2. RSVP to let us know you want to join>>> https://seriousfun.org/about/seriousfunforall/ SeriousFun will send you a reminder and link to watch on Facebook or YouTube Live. 3. Grab some popcorn and enjoy the show!!

Did you know that World Kindness Day is just under a month away?! It’s on Friday, November 13th this year. To celebrate, we’re sharing how the Double H community is continuously bringing kindness to their own neighborhoods! We hope you’ll join us each Friday to cheer on your counselors and volunteers, then follow their lead to show kindness wherever YOU are this Fall. KINDNESS COUNTDOWN WEEK 1: Meet Maddie! You may recognize her as a former Double H counselor, photographer,... volunteer, and Ragnar runner. She is also an avid card collector and letter writing extraordinaire. When COVID-19 first hit, Maddie was living in New York City and looking for ways to help. After seeing countless posts about staying home, she decided she also wanted to find a unique way to raise money for her local community. Maddie first chose to donate to the NYC Food Bank and another organization called WIN (Women in Need) which focuses on helping women and children who are currently homeless in NYC. Next, Maddie made a simple Instagram post about her card collection: any amount of money donated to either organization would get you a personal letter via snail mail in return. She started receiving donations right away, from $2 all the way up to $100. For each one, she picked a unique card from her collection and wrote the donor a letter. Every so often, she would post about the success of the fundraiser and tag each of the participants. This led to more people donating, and the letter project continues to grow today. Since early March, Maddie has raised $2,000 for the two organizations all through letter writing. She says, I still have a lot more stationary, so I am happy to keep this letter train moving! Thanks for sharing the KINDNESS, Maddie! Check out our story for more about Maddie and how you can join Double H’s KINDNESS COUNTDOWN! 28 days to go!

Attention all Double H summer campers and alumni, winter students, families, volunteers, and staff!! We are hosting a FALL FAMILY DRIVE THRU and you're invited. On Sunday, October 18th, Double H will be open from 1:00pm - 4:00pm for you and your family to take an autumn drive through camp. Stop by to enjoy the views, partake in a camp-wide scavenger hunt, and see HH staff & volunteers from a safe distance - all from inside your vehicle! From start to finish, the drive will last 15 - 20 minutes. Please see the flyer for your staggered arrival time, directions, and more details. SAFE FUN is always our top priority at camp. Please note that we are closely following NYS/CDC guidelines and school closures, and will make an announcement on social media if we cannot safely host the Drive Thru. Please check back for updates!

Need some happiness today? Take a look at these camp volunteers and staff who made our first fall weekend an amazing experience for our families! We are continuing to run fun filled family weekends through the fall season! Thank you so much to our volunteer team for making camp so special and fun! #volunteers #SameSamebutDifferent #fallcamp #familycamp

Thank you to all who supported our First-Ever Virtual Gala - Gather 'Round the Virtual Campfire! If you missed our program viewing last night don't worry you can view it today! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdQDSqbV0Hw Bidding is still open on our auction items and you can also make a donation to help provide Alternative and Virtual Camp Programs for children with serious illness. All of our Programs are Free of Charge to the children and families who attend!

Today is the day! Don't miss out on your opportunity to support Double H Ranch! Bid on array of auction items, watch our program featuring our amazing Double H Ranch Campers and Alumni and learn more about Virtual and Alternative Camp programs. https://cbo.io/bidapp/index.php?slug=doublehranch