Hunt with Heart hosted their 2nd Annual Memorial Day Picnic at Beaver Creek Ranch for all of the Hunt with Heart Families and a few outside guests. The day was filled with fellowship, food, and lots of fun! We had activities for everyone- archery, hayrides, safari rides, roping clinic, gun range, fishing and activities at the lodge. There was something for everyone no matter your age! We recognized our 7 graduating seniors, from both college and high school. We are so proud of all the wonderful things they are accomplishing in life!
We started the day with morning activities and then once everyone worked up an appetite we headed back to the main lodge for hamburgers and hot dogs donated by 44 Farms. During lunch we had a special presentation from the
Texas Rangers. They talked about the history and what the day to day job is like as a Texas Ranger. Not only did they share a few things about themselves, but they also hung out with our young people throughout the day, that was a big deal for some of our young people and even their parents! It’s not everyday you get to hang out with a Texas Ranger, we were so thankful they were able to make time in their schedule for us! We also had a dog demonstration, from Curtis and his dog Jude. Jude would listen and watch for commands and respond/act accordingly to what Curtis was wanting him to do. After a delicious lunch and our two awesome presentations we were off to our afternoon activity to close out our Memorial Day Picnic.
The Memorial Day Picnic was a huge success and one of our biggest events of the years for our families to attend! The whole family gets the opportunity to witness the beauty and the magic that happens at Beaver Creek Ranch and we are so excited the Fatima Donaldson Photography was there to capture it for us as well as James Pharaon Photography.
“I was born on March 7th, 1996, in Albany, New York. A few day later I would undergo my first surgery for my heart as my parents sat worried in the waiting room. The first few years of my life were stressful for my parents until I had my last open heart surgery, the second fontan surgery, at 3 years old. Later on that year my family would end up in Kyle, Texas. I spent the next 15 years living in the same neighborhood until I moved out to attend Texas A&M. In those 15 years I learned to deal with my condition and the complications that come with CHD. I was never able to play tackle football, but I played 2 seasons of flag football. I was told that I had to stop participating in my jui jitsu classes, so I focused on the muy thai portions of my lessons. I played baseball, basketball, and tennis as I made my way through life. When I was a sophomore in high school I was invited out to Camp Beaver Creek for the first camp that Hunt With Heart would put on. That camp was the first real experience that I had with other kids who faced conditions similar to mine. Understanding that I wasn’t alone in my experiences helped me to have a brighter outlook on life.” -Tyler Gray 
