Annual Report 2017
Mission Statement Life Adventure Center programs transform lives by enhancing growth, improving communication, and building resiliency for both individuals and groups, especially underserved youth through professionally supervised outdoor group challenges and shared reflection opportunities.
“My time with Athena’s Sisters at the Life Adventure Center was amazing! Our group was comprised of Veteran women, many of whom are combat Veterans. The space created by the atmosphere and staff at LAC was so peaceful and safe. I felt very comfortable during the retreat to open up and share personal stories and struggles. It was a time of healing and creativity for us without the outside influences
and day to day “noise” of regular life. The LAC staff offered many activities for us to participate in and learn from. I especially loved the equine portion of our retreat. It was a very therapeutic five days for me and I left there feeling renewed motivation and confidence to succeed. God Bless all who made this retreat amazing and unforgettable.”
Liz, Veteran
Welcome from Timothy D. Magill, M.S., C.C.T.P. Executive Director Life Adventure Center
Just as we transformed lives for others
None of this would be possible without
in 2017, we continued transformations of
your generous gift! Thanks to the
Life Adventure Center. Under our
good stewardship of John Cleveland’s
board’s guidance, and thanks to you, our
legacy, 100% of individual gifts go directly
generous donors, 57% of our clientele
toward programming—meaning your gift
were “mission-driven.” Specifically,
is directly impacting the lives of Veterans
and with your help, we provided full or
living with PTS(d), children impacted
significant scholarships to nearly 1800
by cyclical poverty, women rescued
underserved participants, making this
from human sex-trafficking, and other
year the transition to majority mission-
individuals affected by trauma.
driven programming! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to With your help, our camps and retreats
change a life once again. Please consider
achieved statistically significant results in
increasing your impact in 2018 by making
increased resiliency (at the .05 level)—
an increased generous gift. On behalf
resiliency that will help individuals like Cliff
of the lives you’ll change once again,
(a Veteran living with PTS) and Jordan
THANK YOU!
(a youth with an incarcerated parent and difficult home life) overcome extreme adversity. This resilience will continue to grow as our model expands to include spring and fall “mobile-units” with key community partners, further increasing both the qualitative and quantitative impact of our life-changing modalities.
“Standing in the midst of 106 students who are excited to be outside the schools walls reinforces what makes experiential education unique.”
Chris
For two summers, attended our summer camps, with the aid of an interpreter. His first summer began with tears and fear—a strange environment, with unfamiliar faces, and an unusual routine. However, with the support of his interpreter, our staff, and most importantly, his fellow campers, Chris overcame his fear and had an amazing time. His second summer
with us he immediately went to the barn—this year he was going to get on a horse! On the last day, with his parents there to experience it, Chris attempted our 40 foot climbing wall. He made it almost a third of the way up the wall to the straight-climb section before recognizing his limits. The smile of joy on his face was a smile of accomplishment, resilience, and confidence.
Values Statement •
We are committed to making both the emotional and physical safety and well-being of children and families a priority.
•
We believe individuals learn best about themselves and others when physical challenge is combined with directed reflection that allows for personal introspection.
•
We believe every individual deserves to be treated with respect and dignity regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, religion, color, family status, marital status, and life circumstances.
•
We aspire to maintain programs with high standards of community and social responsibility.
•
We are committed to teaching appreciation for all living things and an understanding about the interdependent relationships within the natural environment while encouraging sustainability principles.
Life Adventure Center
Who We Are
Life Adventure Center changes
lives through outdoor adventure. We harness evidence-based theories of experiential education to innovatively combine group dynamics, psychology, meditation, equine assisted learning/psychotherapy,
Participants
and outdoor adventure to build resiliency, communication, teambuilding, and self-efficacy.
26%
More than mere recreation, we employ a
46%
guided “debriefing” process to actualize lifechanging, break-through transformations. Our
17%
camps and retreats heal Veterans, reconnect
11%
■ ■
families, and build resiliency in the most
1,401
Underserved Adults
347
Activities include:
1,748
• Equine Assisted Learning/Psychotherapy
Youth
515
Adults
810
• Climbing & Challenge Course (including climbing towers, zip lines, etc.)
Total Underserved Participants
■ ■
vulnerable youth.
Underserved Youth
Total Participants 3,073
• Outdoor Adventure: canoeing, camping, rock climbing, wilderness survival • Meditative Labyrinth & mindfulness activities
Participation Days
• Underserved and disadvantaged youth
25%
38%
• Military Families, Disabled Veterans, and Service Members suffering from PTS(d)
19%
• Women rescued from human sex-trafficking
18%
■ ■
Underserved Youth
2,028
Underserved Adults
951
Total Underserved Participation Days 2,979
■ ■
Who we serve
Youth
1,031
Adults
1,310
Total Participation Days 5,320
• Other trauma-affected populations through community groups • School groups, environmental field trips, and educational camps • Corporate teambuilding & leadership retreats
Private giving of financial support is crucial in our mission to transform lives by providing increased services to the underserved population.
Our Donors Change Lives! • 39% average 3-year growth of donor base • Over 80% donor retention last year • Doubled our donor base
Vision Statement LAC will be a recognized leader in providing outdoor based, experiential education and a premier knowledge resource as we constantly research and develop new empirically proven programs to meet our objectives.
Ashley comes from a non-existent home.
She’s spent most of her life in foster care and most of that in a highly-regulated therapeutic home. As part of our partnership with this foster system, Ashley came to LAC with her new foster parents. This program aims to increase the length of stay in a residential home and decrease recidivism back to a therapeutic home. On her first visit to LAC, Ashley was guarded and closed off. But, on her second week, while
working on a particularly challenging equine group initiative, Ashley decided to remove herself from the situation and sit on the sidelines for a few minutes. Upon reflection and a conversation with our staff members, she rejoined the group. Ashley’s counselors informed us that this was a huge break-through. When frustrated, instead of removing herself, Ashley usually throws fists. At LAC, she improved her coping skills and learned to react to situations without violence.
Life Adventure Center & Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary
2017 Donor Honor Roll
Expeditioner ($20,000+) John Cleveland Foundation Frontier ($10,000- $19,999) Community Trust & Investment Co. Pioneer ($5000-$9999) American Legion Auxiliary Post #34 - Anderson County Glenn & Sandi Bromagen Ross & Cathie Brown Children’s Charity Classic Cralle Foundation Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs - Program Trust Fund Mitchell Family Foundation The All Glory Project Toyota Motor North America Inc. Trail Blazer ($2500-$4999) AMEC Foster Wheeler Kamtech Inc. Middletown Chamber of Commerce The Lexington Rotary Club Endowment, Inc Scariot Family Foundation, Inc. Larry & Sallie Stebleton United Way of the Bluegrass West Sixth Brewing Daniel Withrow Explorer ($1000-$2499) APS Communications, Inc. BDH Foundation Anne Berryman Blue Grass Community Foundation Linda Bosse Mary Gay Bridgforth Roger & Racquel Brown Steve & Susan Bush Kentucky Bank Stephanie Czuhajewski Dan & Erin Hall LG & E and KU Services McCauley Brothers McDowell Breckinridge Camp Foundation Tim & Susie Magill Middletown Chamber of Commerce Moses Ford BMW Charlie Musser Ridley USA Inc. David & Ame Sweetall US Bank Foundation West Marine Blue Future Fund
Life Adventure Center & Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary
2017 Donor Honor Roll (cont.) Path Finder ($500-$999) Covert Scouting Cameras, Inc. Fidelity Charitable Joe & Debbie Graviss Hall Contracting John & Rebecca Holtzworth Kendra Scott LLC Denise Lutz Marine Corps Coordinating Council- KY Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Ron & Elise Wallace Woodford County Conservation District
Sherrie Goebel Dr. & Mrs Robert Goodman in memory of Dr. Ullin Leavell Bronwyn Haltom Ann Hayes John Hearns Cynthia Hewitt in honor of Jan Hewitt Jan Hewitt Larry & Marilyn Hitchner Elaine Hossler Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers’ Club Adventurer ($250-$499) John Kolb Leslie Aronovitz Lexington Adventurers Club in honor of Ann Hayes Lexington Insurance Company Bluegrass Orienteering Bluegrass RV Steve & Julie Breitigan Drew Cantor Richard & Doreen Carlson Tim Chesney Citizens Commerce National Bank John & Katherine Crossfield Janet Cuthrell Ted Gearhart in honor of Ann Hayes Tyler Glick Robert & Roberta Guthrie Linda & Larry Huber Kroger Community Rewards Patrick Merchak Phillip & Janice Meyer More Than A Bakery James Nelson Tom & Mary Pierson William & Sandra Ritter
Kathy Loeb Noah Lucas Teresa Lynch Diane Magill Susie Magill Brian McGuire Mikel McKinley Jeff & Kathy Miller Lou Nunnelley Arthur & Rebecca Pangemanan Pet Projects Inc. Happy Petrey Alan Pickney Point Blank Range & Gunshop Sarah Provancher Lisa Redwine David & Christine Rust: Endorphiends Bourbon Chase Team Jim & Sue Schaefer Sally Schu Wesley & Jena Scott
in memory of Harry Magill Mark Shake Sharon Walsh Iris Wilbur
Louis Senn Shirley John Construction, LLC Cindy Shryock Leslie Small Shannon Stuart-Smith Gary & Cathy Terry Jerry & Karen Tolson William Tyree Janis Walden Phil & Becky Wilder Anthony Wilhoit Terri Wilhoit Roger Wilson Tracey Wright in memory of John Edwards Dolores Zavash
Discoverer ($100-$249) Amanda Mays Bledsoe Todd & Carah Boggess Brightside Racing LLC Steven & Gail Bruder Claudia Bumgardner Ron Burden Garry Burry Byron & Freda Chapman Robert Cornett Byron Fisher
Surveyor (Under $100)
Nestor & Hannah Gomez
Alex Newby
Michael Adams
John Gutzeit
Angela Newby
Ruthie Adams
Adam Haley
Spence Newman
Amazon Smiles
Joseph Hamilton III
Tracey Noe
Donna Arnold
Philip Haming
Cassandra O’Bryan
Paula Aseltyne
Vickie Hardman
Caelan OConnor
Billy Bass
David Harris
Tiffany S Parsons
Brian & Abby Bass
Christy Heard
Lizzy Patterson
Stephen & Cathy Batkie
Phil Heard
Debbie Paulus
Gina Henderlight
Kelly Peterson
Cynthia Berlin
Samara Heavrin
Robert Phillips
The Blackburn Family
Addison Hollin
Tracy Phillips
Deanna Brangers
Jay & Judy Hollingsworth
Andrew Potts
Jane Bratcher
Kara Hoover
Joe Rickert
Stephen Breitigan
Lindsey Horrell
Jonathan Ricketts
Linda Brewer
Beth Hudson
Barb Rosell
Charles & Patty Brock
Elizabeth Jackson
Bobby Russell
Aaron Brown
Leslie Jacobs
David & Christine Rust
Nora Bruce
Dave & Margaret Jeffiers
Shannon & Monica Sageser
Margaret Buckley
Lisa Johnson
Kathy Sargent
Taylor Buckley
Charlene Jones
Erin Schreiner
Eric Bush
Bryan Kelley
Bret Shultz
Victor Carr
Josh & Casey Kight
Vanessa Scott
Brian Cartier
Connie Kinman
John Selegue
Michele Clark
Paul Krueger
Sydney Skinner
James Clayton
Hester Kuhl
Hannah Smith
Miriam Cleary
Lexington Division of Parks & Rec
Aaron Sole
James Cox
Kelsey Lipp
Marci Solomon
John Cox
Gayle Magee
Gary Sprandel
Sharaya Cox
Jacqueline Magill
James Stansbury
Mary Dallas
Laurie Magill
Iga Stasiak
Elise DeKraii
Hemraj Makwana
Miles Stewart
Kenny & MaKenzie Domilise
Catelyn Manly
Galen Stone
L. Duddy
Chris McEachron
Patrick Sullivan
Aaron DuVall
Tina Ellis-McGinnis
Steve & Amy Sword
Michael & Janet Eaton
Aaron McGuffin
Thomas Taylor
Casey Eckert
Sheldon McKinney
Lance Terrell
John & Anne Elliott
Tim Melton
Caitlin Terry
Doug & Sharon Eskew
Adam Miller
Mark & Wendy Trivisonno
Jane Estep
Chase Milner
Micah Trivisonno
Mel Evans
Bonnie Mink
Vickie Walker
Tom Finch
Paula Moberly
Rebecca Wallace
Byron Fisher
Natalie Moran
Josh Walton
Deana Fitch
Nancy Moranville
John & Joanna Watercutter
Dana Ford
Charlotte Morewood
Ken Weaver
Sue Fosson
Carolyn Musselman
Kevin White
Aaron Fraebel
Mary Margaret Nagle
Marcella Willhite
in memory of Patricia Tuttle
Jill Fraebel
in honor of Dr. Ross & Cathie Brown
Lorraine Garkovich
Diane Neff
Lance Gibson
Elizabet Nelson
Makenzie Williams JoAnn Woodland Evan Wright Sharon Zaring
How is Life Adventure Center Funded? Life Adventure Center is a 501(c)3, charitable organization. Receiving no governmental funding, we rely on tax deductible gifts from kind and caring donors like you to rebuild military families, improve resiliency for underserved kids and heal the wounds of trauma.
“Mrs. Harris told me that some of the students did not know what a turtle shell or antler felt like. She was amazed. On the hike while some were asking how long we were hiking, how many miles we had gone, one young man said he wished the hike would last forever. He had never been out in nature. He saw acorns for the first time. �
Zach
Connor
and come to us from one of our key community partners that mentor youth with incarcerated parents. These very special campers often have incredibly difficult home lives and would otherwise not have the opportunity to attend summer camp. Thanks to your generous support, they attend camp while building resiliency and enhancing their self-efficacy. As siblings do, these two
started squabbling, which quickly escalated into a physical struggle. Our highly-trained staff rapidly intervened to guide them through a crucial processing experience; experiential education meeting real-life experiences. These siblings worked through their tension, processed emotions, and rebuilt their relationship. It became a learning experience for the entire camp, giving them better interpersonal tools—tools for life!
“As a Veteran, I carry a lot of anger and stress from my time in the service. Working with LAC has really helped me feel at peace and work through my anger and stress.�
570 Milner Rd, VERSAILLES, KY 40383 (859) 873-3271 www.lifeadventurecenter.org