Higher Ground

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Ketchum, ID
Higher Ground

Adventure. Support. Belonging. Recreational Therapy Nonprofit for People of All Abilities

11/11/2025

Happy Veterans Day 🇺🇸

At Higher Ground, we’re fortunate to have Veterans on our team who continue to live a life of service, helping others heal, connect, and rediscover purpose through community and recreation.

Matthew, our Veteran and First Responder Alumni Coordinator, stays in touch long after the programs end. If you’ve been through a weeklong program, chances are you’ve heard from him, offering support, encouragement, and genuine care that extend far beyond a single week.

Justin, Senior Program Manager, balances his role as a Master Facilitator and Officer in the Army Reserves. His leadership, humility, and compassion set the tone for so much of what we do on and off program.

Adam, MSEI, Senior Program Manager for Veteran and First Responder Programs and CRU, is the quiet force behind all our CRU events. Managing over 25 CRU Ambassadors across the country, Adam ensures everyone has an opportunity to be connected and supported.

We also want to recognize two of our board members: Michael Lanahan (U.S. Army) and Jelani Hale (U.S. Navy), whose continued service and dedication help guide Higher Ground’s mission every day.

“As a Veteran and First Responder, this weeklong program changed my life. Cancer took its toll on me in many ways, but I was lucky enough to meet, speak with, and connect with other veterans who had suffered through similar things. Every staff member, volunteer, and veteran were beyond respectful and absolutely the best version of humanity. The recreational activities, some of which I’d done before and some that were new, challenged me in positive ways. The group discussions and exercises really changed my mental state and gave me new ways to view life and everything it consists of. I will never be able to thank this program enough for truly changing my life and helping me to improve myself… becoming the best version of myself.”
— Ben, Idaho Mountain Biking Program, Summer 2025

Today we pause to honor all Veterans, for your service, your courage, and the strength that inspires us everyday.

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from your Higher Ground crew 👻

From Matilda to M&Ms to scary bats, the HG adaptive participants know how to dress up and party!🕺 🎃

10/08/2025

Meet Monica, our new Adaptive Sports Admin Manager!

Originally from Toronto, she brings over 15 years of experience in adaptive sports and inclusive health promotion, most recently helping bring the first-ever hybrid winter Invictus Games to life in Whistler-Vancouver.

A recreation therapist and clinical exercise physiologist, she’s passionate about creating opportunities for everyone to get outside, whether skiing, sailing, mountain biking, or hiking.

Fun fact: she’s spent the last three years sailing through Alaska and Mexico (the Baja Bash included!)

We’re so excited to have her join the Higher Ground team, make sure to give her a warm welcome when you see her on the slopes this winter! Just be patient while she converts the temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit, eh? ⛷️🏔️

09/23/2025

We’re so proud of our CRU ambassadors who continue to grow Higher Ground’s mission and create meaningful opportunities for veterans and first responders in their local communities. Here are four of our newest ambassador additions!

CRU Ambassadors are graduates of our weeklong veteran and first responder programs who were so inspired by their experience that they now host daylong events in their own communities. Rooted in recreation, each CRU gathering gives local veterans and first responders the chance to reconnect and recharge.

Jess (picture 1) in North Carolina is building connection through paddle board yoga, David (picture 2) in Hawaii is developing a CRU to serve his local community, Maggie (picture 3) in New York is hosting all-female Veteran retreats, and Ricky (picture 4) in Maine is leading whitewater adventures.

Their passion, dedication, and leadership are helping HG thrive nationwide.

09/02/2025

Is blue your color? Want to wear it all winter long?

We are looking for our next fleet of winter adaptive instructors!

Pros: skiing (or snowboarding) everyday, working with rad participants, learning something new, awesome managers (see last slide), getting paid to have fun, being outside just about everyday

Cons: your jobs standards will skyrocket after working with Higher Ground

Send your resume and cover letter to maggie@highergroundusa.org - full job description link: https://buff.ly/5OlITay

08/28/2025

Only a few team sponsorships left!

The 3rd annual Higher Ground Invitational is just 4 weeks away, don't miss your opportunity to hit the links for a good cause (and for a coveted HG belt buckle)

Every dollar raised fuels 36,000 hours of life-changing programs, serving over 4,000 participants from right here in the Wood River Valley to across the nation.

Get involved - share this post with your golf obsessed friends and family, click the link below to register your team, or see the magic in action and volunteer

https://buff.ly/lQoffvd

08/12/2025

Stop by the American Legion Hall tomorrow and Hop Porter Park Thursday, for a special performance from the Victory Belles. This performance is in support of the USS Idaho Commissioning Committee. Learn more here https://buff.ly/ZeueVPP

08/11/2025

Meet Sierra, our latest addition to the HG family, coming in hot as our new Director of Grants & Sponsorship!

Sierra brings a deep love for skiing, storytelling, and strengthening community through creative partnerships. What's her most recent career highlight you ask? It is helping host the first-ever Women at the Beaver Creek Birds of Prey World Cup - complete with ski racing legends, Olympic icons (SV's own Picabo Street), and a live performance by Kool & The Gang (yeah, you read that right)!

When she's not wrangling grant deadlines or championing adaptive recreation, you might find her on the slopes, fly fishing, or crushing it at the bowling alley.

We are stoked to have Sierra on our team and a part of our family

08/08/2025

"This program has changed the trajectory of my life, and I feel a renewed sense of hope and strength in myself. I cannot thank Higher Ground enough." – Janelle

From winding singletrack to breathtaking mountain views, our Galena mountain biking program offered more than just time on the trails. It was a chance for participants to unplug from the noise of everyday life, breathe in the fresh mountain air, and reconnect with themselves in nature.

Thank you to all the volunteers, donors and HG stakeholders that make programs and transformative change like this happen.

08/06/2025

We’ll be at Wydaho! Will you!?

08/05/2025

New program alert!!

We’re excited to launch our Archery Program this August!

Dates: August 8, 15, 20, 22
Sessions available for ages 5–12 and 13+
Participants must have a permanent disability

Come try something new in a supportive and adaptive environment. Register through Community Pass - link below!

https://buff.ly/vtjymoP

07/26/2025

Calling all WRV veterans and first responders (active or retired), whether you’ve got a trophy trout story or have never touched a fly rod, you're invited to join our new half-day fly fishing series starting August 1 🎣

📍 Ketchum, ID (locations vary but we’ll keep you posted)
🗓 August 1 & every other Friday thereafter
💵 Free (transportation not included)
👥 Active or retired veterans & first responders

Reach out to Jamie, Jamie@highergroundusa.org, to sign up and hear about more local opportunities.

Address

100 S Leadville, Suite 100
Ketchum, ID
83340

Website

http://www.highergroundusa.org/

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