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Mission Statement
Situated on the shore of Lake Vanare in Lake Luzerne, NY, the Double H Hole in the Woods Ranch provides year-round fun and emotional support to children ages 6-16 facing critical illnesses. At all times campers are under the loving care of a competent staff of doctors and nurses and a caring and well trained group of camp counselors.
The Ranch also provides the venue for weekends sponsored by a number of family based support programs. These weekends serve families coping with HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, the loss of a child, Von Willebrand's Disease, families where a parent has cancer and many more.
There is no charge for any of the Ranch's programs. Program participants are only asked to provide their own transportation to and from the Ranch.
Summer Camp Program From June to September the Double "H" comes alive with 8 sessions of summer camp for children age 6-16 with chronic illnesses. The Double "H" prides itself on the ability to offer children an amazing experience, while maintaining safety as its foremost concern. The sessions are 6 or 7 days and accommodate 126 children per session. The 2:1 camper to staff ratio and on-site nurses and doctors assure that all children are in great hands. The ranch offers a traditional residential camping experience with programs and guests like kickball, swimming (outdoor and indoor pools),basketball, fishing, tennis, boating, and volleyball.
Spring/Fall Programs The ranch opens its doors to a variety of specialty programs throughout the year as part of its holistic approach to programming. The overall goal of the year-round programming is to spread the mission of Health & Happiness to children and families dealing with crisis. Some of the programs offered at the ranch include:
The future of the year-round programming at the ranch will include Experiential Education programs for local school children.
Winter Program The Adaptive Winter Ski Program offers children 6-18 with chronic and/or life-threatening illnesses the opportunity to participate in various winter sports in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains. Activities include alpine and Nordic skiing, as well as snowboarding and snow shoeing. Each participant has at least one PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) trained instructor and all of the necessary equipment is provided free of charge.
Our professional Ski Patrol ensure safety on the slope, and our gracious lodge hosts and hostesses make sure the fire is blazing.
A typical day entails the students' arrival at 9:30am to meet up with their instructor and get-equipped. From 10am to noon, the lift operates to provide access to the slope. After an hour lunch, it's back out to the slope, for another two hours of instruction, before day's end.
In addition, we host several family sleepover weekends, allowing the entire family to experience the great out-of-doors, together. Participation is based on approval by our Medical or Nursing Director, and availability, as we operate on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Alumni Sleepover is also available to those students who've aged out of the regular program.
