Each summer, we re-evaluate our plans and goals for the next 12 months. We discuss what worked, what needs improvement, and where we need to refocus our efforts. From our perspective, it is never too early to start planning the next event or program!

 

One program we've spent a lot of time talking about this month is our Teen Program as it wrapped up when they climbed Long's Peak, the only fourteener in Rocky Mountain National Park. It stands at 14,259 feet above sea level and is considered to be one of the most challenging peaks to climb in Colorado. The teens set a goal for themselves to reach their peak, and they did!

They discovered the power of focusing on a goal to overcome the challenge in front of them. We should all be inspired by what they accomplished.

 

Sincerely,

MDHC Staff

During the month of July, the 2nd component of our teen program, Reach Your Peak!, took place. The goal of the program was to develop the resiliency of each teenager in the face of challenges through hiking experiences in Rocky Mountain National Park. Led by Jim Detterline, a Rocky Mountain National Park ranger who is hard of hearing, the teenagers learned basic rock climbing techniques and strategies for hiking safely and comfortably.  

But their biggest accomplishment was on July 25 when they completed a 15 mile hike to the summit of Long's Peak! Starting at 4:00am, they hiked for 13 ½ hours. For each teen participant, Long's Peak was their first 14er, a mountain taller than 14,000 feet! Long's Peak is considered one of the most challenging 14ers to hike in Colorado. Several volunteers were instrumental in making this program a success, particularly Jim. He contributed over 50 hours of volunteer service to make this program a success. The Marion Downs Hearing Center is sincerely grateful for his leadership and mentorship to the teens. Thank you, Jim and thank you to ALL the volunteers! Click here to see pictures from the hike!

 

Congratulations to the 2009 Teen Program Participants!
 

It is time for some fun! On Saturday, August 29, the MDHC, Hands & Voices, and Platte Canyon Sertoma Club are joining forces to host the annual Family Picnic for DHH Families. This no-charge event will take place at General's Park from 10:30-1:30. All DHH families are welcome to attend! The theme will be a throw back to the way we used to do picnics - egg tosses, three-legged races, and much more! We invite families to share a favorite side dish at the picnic. Please RSVP to Sara Kennedy at sarak17@aol.com or 719-634-2328 by Monday, August 24.

 

 

 

Our television has died! We are in need of a donated color television in good working order for the MDHC.  We have several consumer outreach programs in our building throughout the year that use televisions for educational purposes on a regular basis. The television must be compatible with a DVD player. Your donation will be tax-deductible.

 

Contact Linda if you're in a position to help!

720-848-3043 or Linda.Engelbrecht@uch.edu

We like to think we're pretty savy here at the MDHC...but alas, there ARE some things we need a little bit of help with: our website! We would like to revamp our current site, add some information, and improve its navigation. Can you help us? The volunteer most suited for this position needs to have solid working knowledge of Dreamweaver and, of course, some time to donate to the project. We promise you'll have fun in our office - we laugh a lot and work a little. Wait... the other way around...

 

Contact Linda if you're interested!

720-848-3043 or Linda.Engelbrecht@uch.edu