Participant News – May
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Places are limited - and filling fast!
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Each summer High Hopes is pleased to offer five sessions of an inclusive summer camp. The sessions are designed to meet the needs of our campers’ ages and riding skills. Throughout our four-day camp sessions, participants experience grooming, tacking, daily riding lessons, trail rides, gymnastics on horseback, carriage driving, arts and crafts, and of course play inclusive team-building GAMES! All activities are conducted in age-appropriate groups.
All sessions are Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Each session enrolls a maximum of 16 participants.
2020 Camp Sessions are as follows:
Week 1, July 6 – July 9, 2020 – date to be confirmed
Week 2, July 13 – July 16, 2020 – FULL – waitlist only
Week 3, July 20 – July 23, 2020 – FULL – waitlist only
Week 4, July 27 – July 30, 2020
Week 5 August 3 – August 6, 2020 – 10 places left
Please note that all of our camps are subject to change according to direction by the CDC and the OEC.
Register Now!
Register now for:
VetKids and Children of First Responders
Children of Veterans and active service members are a population generally underserved by traditional Veterans programs, which tend to focus more on the service member and their spouse or partner. The children of First Responders and Frontline Workers face many similar uncertainties in their daily lives, particularly during this pandemic.
High Hopes created a program that focused on character building, emotional regulation, team building, and communications. While some of the participants had ridden before, none had experienced the learning, confidence building, and self-esteem that can come from caring for and working with a horse in the barn.
The bond participants developed with their horses provided a low-key and trusting environment in which they could share their experiences of parents being deployed, or returning from deployment, responding to a crisis call, or recovering from one.
All our participants and many parents commented on how important it was that everyone in the program “was in the same boat.” They all had similar experiences and shared emotions, something that is not the case in educational settings.
VetKids Camp: August 17 – 20, 2020
Download a flyer HERE
Please note that all of our camps are subject to change according to direction by the CDC and the OEC and that your place at this camp has been significantly subsidized through a donation from the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut and the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT Foundation.

join us for this FREE online event
The Big Virtual Bash
Join us for the BEST Saturday night of lockdown!
From the comfort of your home join Brian Cheney and Trudy Burgess for this virtual event.
Dress-up or put those pajamas back on (perhaps you never took them off!)
Tune into Zoom or Facebook Live at 7 pm EST for an evening of entertainment including celebrity guests, premium silent & live auctions, the raffle of a 2015 Lafite Rothschild Bordeaux valued at $800, and an opportunity to interact with our incredible network of supporters. We will share updates and more event details with you over the next few weeks, including an invitation and access code to join this free virtual event. Make sure to check Facebook and Instagram to see additional posts, videos, pictures, and stories. You won’t want to miss anything!
Find out More!Let's Get Together!

May 6, 2020 01:30 PM
Volunteer & Participant Virtual Chat.
It’s coffee time! And the team will be grabbing their favorite mugs for a cup of Joe! Join us for a Zoom get together for volunteers, participants, families, and caregivers. An informal time to get together and enjoy a little High Hopes’ camaraderie. You can download the Zoom app on your phone or click this link to download to your computer and zoom from home.
Password: 267711
Join the fun!
May 8, 2020 10:00 am
Volunteer & Participant Virtual Chat.
Bring a Cup-o-Joe and a friend and join us for a Zoom get together for volunteers, participants, families, and caregivers. An informal time to get together and enjoy a little High Hopes’ camaraderie. If you email Emily to say you would like to join us, she will send you an invite for your calendar. Otherwise, you can click below and join at that time.
Password: 737642
Click to Zoom with us!
May 11, 2020 5:00 pm
Volunteer & Participant Virtual After Hours
Grab a coffee, a cup of tea, or your favorite cocktail (it’s five o’clock somewhere) and join us for a Zoom get together for volunteers, participants, families, and caregivers. An informal time to get together and enjoy a little High Hopes’ camaraderie.
Password: 366443
Click to join the chat