founded by charles r. wood and paul newman herald …
TRANSCRIPT
A Message from Victor and Max . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Medical Volunteers: McKennas Make Camp Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–3
Volunteer of the Year: Todd Earl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5
Power to Push . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7
Welcome Board Members to Double H Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–9
Every Penny Counts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Let the Sunshine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Winter: Hamilton College Goes Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Give the Gift of Happiness this Holiday Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Founding DirectorsCharles R. Wood & Paul NewmanBoard of DirectorsVictor Hershaft, ChairmanEmily Bailey BerryDerek Brown Lauretta ChrysCharlie CrewNeil Golub, Honorary Life ChairmanGeorge HearstTom IndoeKevin JohnsonKimberly Sanger Jones Walter “Buzz” LambRobert LaughlinEd Lewi, Honorary Life Vice ChairmanSenator Betty LittleElizabeth Matthews McCarthy Ed MitzenMaureen O’Brien Vincent T. Riggi Christina RiversWalter Robb, TreasurerJohn RyanSheryl SchwartzRoss SheridanSandy ShermanKathy StrikerEd SwyerAnthony Tartaglia, MD, Vice ChairmanMichael Toohey Marian Wolgin, SecretaryCharlene Wood
Executive Director/CEOMax J. Yurenda
Emeritus DirectorsRobert Dorfman, Esq. & CPAUrsula GwynneA.E. HotchnerAgnes PompaDr. Sam Ross, Jr.Floyd H. RourkeJosie Beckos-Wood
Medical Advisory BoardKathleen Braico, MD, Medical DirectorEmo Castle,BS, RN, Nursing DirectorJacquline Bovair, RNTimothy Carey, RRTTina Facteau, BSNGerard Florio, PhDDorothy Grover, RPTGinelle Jones, RN, FNPMarilyn Kacica, MD, MPHMartha Lepow, MDAimee McMaster, ACNPJennifer Pearce, MDMargaret Shea, RNClara E. Somoza, DOAmanda Steen, SRPh, CIAnthony Tartaglia, MDDanielle Viola, RD Raymond Walsh, MD
Newsletter ContributorsEditor: Eileen NashContributor: Jacqui RoyaelGraphic Design: APROPOS Design SolutionsPhotos: Dave Bigler, Mark Morand
In This Issue
Contact UsDouble H Ranch, 97 Hidden Valley Road, Lake Luzerne, NY 12846-3318 • Tel: (518) 696-5676 • Fax: (518) 696-4528Development Office: Tel: (518) 696-5921 • Fax: (518) 696-7186 • www.doublehranch.orgA publicly supported 501(c)(3)charitable corporation.
A MESSAGE FROM VICTOR AND MAX
Each year, the operations team identifies a new theme for the staff, volunteers and children that participate in our year-round programs . The theme in 2014 is “Go Beyond” and it has inspired all of us to step out of our comfort zone and challenge ourselves to think out of the box and try new things .
The creativity well at the Double H Ranch will never dry up . We empower our volunteers, campers and staff to have input into the future direction of our organization . We encourage our extended family to face challenges head on with the knowledge that there will always be a strong support network by their side .
Preserving our traditions is important, but we need to constantly modify our strategic thinking and plan to insure success in an ever-changing world . Our Board of Directors must “Go Beyond” their daily responsibilities to take our organization to the next level of maturity and sustainability .
Our volunteers and staff “Go Beyond” to insure that our campers have the most memorable, exciting and empowering experience possible . They give everything and more to our kids and we are grateful for their unconditional gifts of support, love and sharing .
We celebrate our campers every day and they are truly the ones who “Go Beyond .” Perhaps it is that leap of faith on the high ropes challenge course or displaying a thoughtful act of kindness to another child who is struggling . As our campers face prolonged hospital-izations and painful treatments they “Go Beyond” and face these challenges with courage, hope and memories of their time at the Double H Ranch .
We have celebrated twenty-two years of giving back to our community and most especially to our children and families . Our team of staff, volunteers and the Board are driven with passion, commitment and a sense of obligation to preserve and expand the legacy of our founders .
We are deeply touched and grateful to our local communities for their continued support and dedication to our critical mission .
Health and Happiness,
Victor Hershaft Max J . YurendaChairman of the Board CEO/Executive DirectorTel: (914) 273-5395 Tel: (518) 696-5676, ext . 224Email: vhershaft@aol .com Email: myurenda@doublehranch .org
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Double H has been described as a safe
place to call home for many of our camp-
ers . To create this level of trust, comfort
and care we rely on the strength of our
medical community . Doctors and nurses
that give well beyond their talent and ex-
pertise . They give so much of themselves
to camp that it reminds us of all the genu-
ine compassion of medical professionals
to see beyond an illness and see the child .
For the McKenna family,
MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS: McKennas Make Camp Home
Dennis, Karen and their four children Jack,
Maggie, Kate and Matthew, they have
supported camp in every season and
embody our summer theme to “Go
Beyond” . Whether it is the kind hand they
lend to a staff member working hard, the
medications they calmly administer, or the
costume they wear in the session ending
talent show, Dennis and Karen make camp
all about having safe fun and a lot of it!
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Karen and Dennis have been an
awesome addition to the Body Shop.
Not only are they both very skilled
at caring for our campers, they do it
in a way that is FUN for everyone.
They truly dive into their work with
the campers and enjoy being a part
of everything at camp. You won’t
find them sitting around in the
Body Shop, but you will find them
out on camp fishing with the
campers, playing with the campers,
and being fully involved!
—Emo Castle,BS, RN
Double H Ranch Nursing Director
Their children integrate into the cabins
each summer and follow in their parents’
footsteps, being a kind friend to their cabin
mates and embracing all the fun camp has
to offer . What seems so special about the
McKenna family is how grateful they are to
Double H for the experience .
Double H is made great by great people .
Thank you McKenna family for helping us
to “Go Beyond” and be the best place for
all of us to call home .
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In Photo on Left: Driver : Karen McKenna, RN, ERG St . Peter’s Hospital; “Thumbs-Up” Passenger: Dennis McKenna, MD, VP of Medical Affairs and Medical Director AMC Emergency MedicineAbove: Notes from Maggie McKenna and Kate McKenna
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Retirement is defined as the action or fact
of leaving one’s occupation and ceasing to
work . Todd Earl retired from his position
as Guidance Counselor from the Hudson
Falls Central School District after 25 years
of dedicated service to students . Retire-
ment is a time to celebrate accomplish-
ments and for some to slow down, but
that hasn’t been the case for Todd . Todd
arrives at Double H almost every morn-
ing with always the same outlook, “put me
where I am needed .” On any given day at
Double H, you might find Todd organiz-
ing the National Ski Patrol supplies and
DOUBLE H VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR: Todd Earl
schedule in his role as Director of the Ski
Patrol for the winter program, serving as a
summer session volunteer, helping to run
our High Ropes Course on family week-
ends, or lending a passionate and skilled
hand to our facilities team .
Todd began volunteering for Double H in
2006 as a member of the National Ski Pa-
trol . After watching the difference it made
to his wife Rosemarie, he followed her
lead and became involved with the
Adaptive Winter Sports Program . For
the past four years, Todd has served
as the Director of the Ski Patrol and
began to seek out other opportunities
to volunteer for Double H . Today there
is no program, event or facilities project
Todd is not willing to lend a helping hand .
We are incredibly thankful Todd retired
and committed to a new passion to help
the Double H children, families, volunteers
and our staff in any way possible! While
his support in every season can some-
times be behind the scenes, his generos-
ity influences countless members of the
Double H community . For this reason, we
are proud to honor him as the Double H
Ranch 2014 recipient of the Ron & Kathy
Phelps Volunteer of the Year Award .
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Todd is everything we could ask for in a volunteer and so much
more. He is always putting our campers and families’ needs before
his own. Every decision he makes is based on how it will benefit
the people we serve. Todd’s dedication, reliability, inclusivity and
flexibility are unlike anyone I have ever met.
—Erin Peeney, Double H Ranch Volunteer Coordinator
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“Go Beyond “is a philosophy that many of
our campers and families live every single
day . One of those families is the Evans
Family . Shamus is an 8 year-old camper
living with Cerebral Palsy, who loves
coming to the Double H Ranch Adap-
tive Winter Sports Program and being a
summer camper, where he gets a chance
to show his independence at the Ropes
Course . His father Shaun, is an ultra-
marathon runner and next summer they
plan to run from coast-to-coast starting
in Washington and ending near NYC .
Although Shamus can’t walk, throughout
the trek he will be the inspiration as
Shaun pushes him cheering “Go Daddy
Go!” The entire family is part
of the effort . While
Shaun and Shamus run, mom Nichole
and brother Simon will provide support
all along the way . The run will cover 15
states and they will be raising funds for
Ainsley’s Angels to provide more children
with running carriages and promote an
active lifestyle among children in similar
situations to Shamus . In each state they
will donate carriages much like the one
Shamus has to families that need them .
Their Goal is to raise $70,000 and
inspire people to not let anything
hold them back and to keep on
going! For further information visit:
http://crowdrise .com/power2push .
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Senator Betty Little is serving her sixth
term representing the residents of the
45th Senate District, which comprises
Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Warren and parts
of St . Lawrence and Washington Coun-
ties . Prior to first winning election to
the State Senate in November 2002,
Senator Little served in the New
York State Assembly for seven years .
Senator Little serves as chair of the
Senate Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks
and Recreation Committee . In addition,
she is a member of the following Senate
committees: Consumer Protection; Crime
Victims; Crime and Correction; Educa-
tion; Environmental Conservation; Finance;
and Judiciary . Senator Little has earned
numerous awards and
distinctions during
her years of
public service .
In 1992,
she was
the recipi-
ent of the
prestigious
Liberty
Bell Award
for Community
Service and in 1997
she was awarded the Adirondack Girl
Scouts’ Women of Distinction Award . For
her advocacy on behalf of armed services
men and women, she was presented the
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Mary G . Roebling Distinguished Service
Award in 2011 by the Association of the
United States Army First Region . This past
March, the New York State School Boards
Association presented her with their
State Leader of the Year Award for her
exemplary advocacy on behalf of public
education . In December 2007, Senator
Little was awarded an honorary doctor-
ate by her alma mater, the College of
Saint Rose . Born in Glens Falls, New York,
Senator Little is a graduate of St . Mary’s
Academy and the College of Saint Rose
with a degree in Elementary Education . A
former teacher and realtor, she resides in
Queensbury . Senator Little is the mother
of six children, Elizabeth, David, Robert,
Thomas, Carolyn and Luke, and the proud
grandmother of fourteen .
Welcome New Board Members to the Double H Ranch
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Lauretta Chrys is Executive
Vice President and Director
of Retail Banking New York
at RBS Citizens Financial
Group, Inc ., one of the
10 largest commercial
bank holding companies
in the United States ranked
by assets . She is responsible for
the 150 branch network in New York
State . During her 25-year banking career,
Chrys has held a variety of leadership
positions in Consumer Banking, Wealth
Management, Small Business Banking, Cash
Management and Government Banking .
In the community, Chrys serves as trustee
of the Union Graduate College and
member of WMHT Public Broadcasting;
Board Finance Committee . She is a for-
mer Board President of Capital Repertory
Theater, Board Secretary of the Albany
Downtown Business Improvement
District, and Board Member, Board
Treasurer of WMHT Public Broadcasting,
and past chair of the Retail Banking
Executive Committee of the New York
Banker’s Association .
Chrys’s honors include recognition by
American Banker as a member of the RBS
Citizens Top Women in Banking Team, as
a Woman of Excellence by the Albany-
Colonie Regional Chamber of
Commerce for her achieve-
ments in private-sector
management, and as a
“40 Under Forty” by the
Capital District Business
Review as a young profes-
sional making a difference in
her business and community .
Chrys earned an MBA from Union
College Graduate Management Institute
and a bachelor’s degree in economics
from the State University of New York
at Albany .
101010
The Double H Ranch is very
fortunate to have Corporate
Partners that go above and
“Go Beyond” the call of duty in
supporting our mission . It could be a group of volunteers helping to rake our
320 acre facility in the Adirondacks! It could be a corporate team with warm
smiles welcoming our campers or it could be a donation of an auction item
or a financial donation to assist us with reaching our financial goals . Recently
the Double H Ranch has partnered with Rite Aid and their charitable giving
program dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children .
KidCents provides an opportunity for RiteAid customers to partner with them
to support programs that make a meaningful difference in the lives of children
in our local communities by simply rounding-up their change .
Members of Rite Aid’s wellness+ program can round up every purchase to
the nearest dollar and give their change to the Double H Ranch, an approved
KidCents charity . To enroll in KidCents and help support the Double H Ranch,
please visit: kidcents .riteaid .com .
Every Penny Counts:
1111
Always looking for ways to improve our
programs and facilities, the Double H Ranch
will be partnering with (NY) US Light and
Energy and embarking on a new endeavor
toward a greener and more sustainable
future by installing a solar panel field this
spring . The system is designed to generate
enough energy to satisfy the yearly con-
sumption of the electricity the camp uses
which will significantly lower the camp’s
energy expenses . This installment will be the
largest in the Adirondack Park . By installing
this environmentally friendly energy source,
Double H Ranch will continue to be good
stewards of our Adirondack home .
Let the Sunshine
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As a college student, there are many
opportunities to give back to your com-
munity . One special group of students
from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY
have found inspiration on the slopes of
the Double H Ranch, as volunteer ski and
snowboard instructors .
The partnership with Hamilton College
and the Double H winter program began
in 2011 . A summer staff member and
winter volunteer, Timothy Driscoll, had
the idea of sharing his love for camp with
fellow students at Hamilton . Through his
determination and coordination, Hamilton
WINTER: Hamilton College Goes Beyond
College agreed to fund the transportation
and support the efforts of these gener-
ous volunteers as a new college club . This
year will be the fourth year Hamilton
students help provide an experience of a
lifetime for the students in the Adaptive
Winter Sports Program . In this time, over
30 Hamilton students have volunteered to
teach skiing or snowboarding, giving over
50 days of service and teaching a com-
bined total of over 200 lessons . We are
grateful for the kindness they show and
the determination they each have had to
make each winter at the Double H Ranch
one to remember .