We just completed Spark Hope's eighth annual FA Adventure Day. It was so fun! Met new people, ate some great food, enjoyed the beautiful day, and let ourselves be inspired by each other. I like to let people who came speak to how meaningful the day is to them, rather than me saying how great the day we host is. So, the following is from three of this year's participants.
Noelle Bouchard
This is my fifth year going to Spark Hope for Adventure Day. Every year I break out of my comfort zone by doing the zip line or whatever we have planned to do in the sky, lol. I feel a sense of achievement after I do that. I have also made some great friendships within the five years I have been attending. Now, my able friends that I bring with me ask in advance "When is Adventure Day? I need to get time off from work!" So, it's more than just an FA event, it's an event for everyone with any type of physical skills! I look forward to it every year and so does my group.
RJ Mercure
FA Adventure Day was a blast, awesome weather and great turn out. Huge thanks to Project Adventure in Massachusetts, they really have a lot of amazing land! Also to Ambassador Jean Terry Walsh for putting this all together every year for FA participants and their families. #ProjectAdventure #SparkHope #FAAdventureDay #CureFA
Jamie Plourde
Adventure Day is always a great opportunity to connect with others with FA and their guests, learn some new and exciting techniques for doing things outside of your comfort zone, and pushing yourself in a positive way beyond any "limits."
Me again (Jean Walsh): RJ wasn't kidding, Project Adventure's (PA) Moraine Farm is a beautiful old mansion overlooking Wenham Lake, a reservoir so it is pristine, and landscaped by Fredrick Law Olmstead. Olmstead famously landscaped NYC's Central Park and Boston's Emerald Necklace. You can come to your first FA Adventure Day for that, but come again because you had so much fun the first time! (;
This year we were joined by FA researcher Ricardo Mouro Pinto from Mass General Hospital's Center for Genomic Medicine and Harvard University. We were so grateful to be joined by a scientist from our FAmily.
Once again, we were graciously hosted at and lead by staff from our eight year and running sponsor Project Adventure. The Unlimited Possibilities Foundation has, also, always been there for us. Sponsoring our meals for eight years and, as of 2016, a travel grant. This year we were able to have three travel grants because an anonymous donor sponsored two.
If all this sounds great, email me, jean@sparkhope.org and I'll be sure to let you know when the next one is coming.
