The Circle Up: Spring 2024

the circle up

letter from our Executive Director

dear friends:

“Sunburst”

Spring has officially arrived, and with it, the farm has been busy! We’re wrapping up our yearlong engagements with Woodford County for the school year, prepping for summer camp and summer interns, and getting excited about our camp season!

Those who know us well know that our Labyrinth is one of our favorite spots on our beautiful property. It was made of stone from the two organizations that merged to create Life Adventure Center: The Cleveland Home and Life Adventure Camp. Our labyrinth is at the highest point on our property and faces east for hope. We hope you’ll join us on International Labyrinth Day – happening across the world on May 4th.

Here at Life Adventure Center, our gates will be open from 9:30 – 11:30 am (it’s Derby Day – we wanted to catch people before all the excitement this day brings) to tour and walk our meditative labyrinth. No registration is necessary and we’re glad to offer this free of charge. We look forward to seeing you out here at LAC! Our address is 570 Milner Road, Versailles, Kentucky, and there will be signs posted guiding you to parking and to the Labyrinth.

APRIL 2024 Letter from Julie B

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Partner Spotlight: Amachi

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Nonprofit of the Year PAGE 03

Staff Spotlight: Bethany Ore PAGE 04

2024 Camps: Register Today!

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Extreme Adventure Challenge PAGE 05

Finally, we are less than two months away from our first big fundraiser to build our scholarship fund – our Extreme Adventure Challenge! We’ve been busy spreading the word in our community and beyond, and are gratified to see teams, sponsors, and volunteers start to come in.

Q & A: Hey Lauren Burke!

We still have room for several more, though! Learn more about our race, and how you can get involved at lifeadventurecenter.org/challenge.

Support our Work

my best, the circle up

Julie B.

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Then and Now BACK COVER PAGE 01

Partner Spotlight: Amachi Life Adventure Center has been lucky to work with Amachi of Central Kentucky for over ten years!

Amachi is an extraordinary mentorship program, dedicated to connecting children affected by parental incarceration with a caring adult in our community. Since 2004, thousands of Lexington’s youth impacted by parental incarceration and substance abuse disorder have been matched through the program.

Statistically, without intervention, children impacted by parental incarceration are 70% more likely to end up in jail themselves.

Amachi Lexington believes mentorship looks a lot like genuine friendship and that every young person deserves to have a caring adult to talk to, trust and ‘do life life with.’

We are honored to be a part of their story, and to help provide some of our resilience building activities for these youth, by providing them with a free week of summer camp annually, mentor/mentee days, and more.

The Life Adventure Center has been an incredible resource and complement to our work for over a decade. The staff there has worked tirelessly to support our mentees, mentors, and families through quality outdoor experiences - with resiliency always at the foundation.

From horseback riding lessons to weeks at camp to mentor/mentee days of fun, our program participants love being at LAC! As a program leader, I'm so thankful for this partnership that serves our "children of promise" in so many significant ways.

Maggie Middleton, Executive Director of Amachi

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Woodford County Nonprofit of the Year We are thrilled and humbled to share that we are the 2023 Nonprofit of the Year here in Woodford County! Our Woodford County Chamber of Commerce awarded us with the honor back in January, and we haven’t stopped smiling since.

Felicia Quigg, Vice President at More Than a Bakery, presented us with this award at the annual Chamber of Commerce Awards with these comments: “Nonprofits are the backbone of support, the driving force behind positive change, and a lifeline for those in need and they embody the principles of empathy, altruism community and solidarity.

Nonprofits address pressing issues working tirelessly to bridge gaps often found for those in need. Nonprofits foster a sense of community engagement and through volunteerism they provide platforms for individuals to contribute their time, skills, and resources for the greater good. Through volunteering, people connect to one another strengthening the fabric of the bonds of our community.

Today's honoree not only embraces these principles but has gone above and beyond in demonstrating a commitment to the welfare of our community. Their impact can be seen in the lives of touched, the initiatives they've spearheaded and the positive changes that they have brought about. This year’s award winner is Life Adventure Center!”

Felicia Quigg, Vice President of Family Pride at More Than A Bakery, presenting the award to our Executive Director, Julie Breitigan.

We are honored to serve this community and to be recognized in this way as we continue to work to use outdoor adventure to build resilience in people affected by trauma from across Central Kentucky!

Thank you to More Than A Bakery for sponsoring this award, and to the Woodford County Chamber Of Commerce for this honor!

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Staff Spotlight: meet Bethany Ore our Registrar and Office Manager Hometown? Education?

Originally from Lexington but now call Versailles home.

What’s a typical day at LAC for you?

Last week I participated in a fire building competition and today I took my on-line CPR & AED American Red Cross training, answered questions about our upcoming camps, and watched the horses here get acclimated to having mountain bikes around. Every day is different at LAC.

What does your day-to-day job entail?

As a registrar I answer general questions about LAC and help organizations and individuals with making their reservations through our online system. I work closely with our groups to make sure waivers are completed, contracts are signed, and deposits are paid.

Favorite Thing about Working at LAC I love getting out of the city, seeing the sunrise every morning over the horse pastures, and helping make our outdoor experiences possible for our participants and groups that we work with.

“Prism”

Now a fun one - favorite song?

Blackberry Winter by Conni Ellisor

2024 Camps - Register Today! summer nature resilience adventure camp camp WJaoiitnl the is

june 17th - 21st t! ages 6-9 july 8th - 12th

adventure seekers june 24th - 28th

ages 13-16 the circle up

june 3rd - 7th june 24th - 28th july 22nd - 26th ages 8 - 12

Join Wait the list!

fall break camp sept 30th - october 4th

lifeadventurecenter.org/camps PAGE 04

register your team today!

When: May 18, 2024 Where: Our 575-acre farm in Versailles Who: 50 teams of 4 people each (two heats) Ages 16+ What: A timed high-adventure challenge spanning our entire property. Participants will work in teams to race 3-5 miles and earn points by completing checkpoints before the clock runs out!

need more info? check out our race page at lifeadventurecenter.org/challenge the circle up

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let’ s ta lk

program area spotlight

Lauren Burke Equine Director “Hawk”

What makes LAC’s Equine Programming unique?

We make the 'magic' of horses accessible to a wide range of participants and learning goals! The variety of activities we can offer, whether equine-assisted learning, vaulting, horsemanship, or riding, gives us many tools for designing an empowering and memorable experience. Each program has many options for everyone to embrace their strengths, contribute as individuals, and leave feeling proud and successful.

We are one of the very few places in Kentucky to offer adaptive vaulting, where exploring balance and mind/body connection on the back of a walking horse is enjoyed by many!

What are your favorite aspects of programming here?

I love that we can combine so many program offerings and skillful facilitation under one roof, giving our participants a chance to find something they connect with. I also love that we commit to empowering choice and voice wherever possible.

When participants are respected and able to choose their level of participation, including which horse they want to work with, and their individual needs or desired support, it creates a great space for exploring what we are capable of! When participants in turn respect the horse's communication and offer them choice it can create some really special moments.

Most memorable experience here at Life Adventure Center?

I always say that people won't remember much of anything I said or did, but they will remember the way the horse made them feel.

I love to create a safe space for people and horses to step up and hold space for each other in unique ways. I have seen hundreds of people arrive at the arena feeling very nervous or disinterested, and leave with remarks like "That was my favorite part of camp!" "you know, I think I like horses after all" or "I can't believe I did that!"

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support our programming!

Our programming here at Life Adventure Center is specifically designed to build internal resilience no matter what group we're serving.

Our work is important, and it doesn’t happen without the support of donors like you.

All donations go directly to our scholarship fund to provide opportunities to underserved populations who would not normally have access to programming or experiences like what they can enjoy here at Life Adventure Center.

To learn more about us and what we do, and to help provide our outdoor adventure programming to other youth, please visit us at www.lifeadventurecenter.org!

Your gift goes directly to our scholarship fund and enables us to provide camp scholarships to deserving kids affected by trauma from across Central Kentucky.

We couldn't do the work we do without the support of donors like you! Thank you for all you do for us! the circle up

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Then and Now So much has happened in our history, from the Cleveland Home, to Life Adventure Camp, to the last twenty years here at Life Adventure Center.

We’ll be sharing some of the things we’re discovering with you over the next year, but here’s a little snapshot from Life Adventure Camp and today, showing us that even as things change, some things remain the same.

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