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Author: Jeannie Norris

An Experience to Remember

Travel Raffle | A $100 ticket buys your chance to win one of six incredible experiences

Set Sail in Bar Habor

Airfare not included | Bar Harbor is known as the gateway to Acadia National Park, one of America’s favorite parks, and is situated on Mount Desert Island right on the gorgeous Frenchman’s Bay. Enjoy three nights for two at The Inn on Mount Desert, breakfasts included, and a two-hour windjammer sailing trip. Get the details: Set Sail in Bar Harbor

Fairmont Scottsdale Golf and Spa

Airfare not included | Enjoy this breathtaking resort in the Valley of the Sun. Three nights and daily breakfasts for two at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, plus $500 toward golf at TPC Scottsdale and Fairmont Princess Spa treatments. Championship golf courses challenge your skills and unique spa retreats offer personalized programs. The AAA Five Diamond Fairmont Scottsdale Princess offers world-class hospitality and unparalleled luxury. Get the details: Fairmont Scottsdale Golf and Spa

Southern Charm

Airfare not included | Savannah is one of the most romantic cities in the United States. Enjoy three nights for two at select Savannah hotels, plus a private horse-drawn carriage ride and a culinary-cultural walking tour. The historic downtown district is filled with towering oak trees, horse-drawn carriages, and dramatic antebellum mansions that survived General Sherman’s fiery march to the sea during the Civil War. Get the details: Southern Charm

Tennessee Whiskey Adventure

Airfare not included | Enjoy an immersive small-group tour for two and learn the story of Jack Daniel, his hometown, and his world famous whiskey. This trip includes three nights for two at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville and a guided transportation tour with a whiskey expert, an exclusive salute to Jack Daniel at his grave, elevated tasting of premium whiskeys at Jack Daniel Distillery, and lunch in Lynchburg. Get the details: Tennessee Whiskey Adventure

Pro Sports Fan Getaway

Airfare *is* included | Enjoy two weekend nights for two plus tickets of your choice to an exciting Friday, Saturday, or Sunday MLB, NBA, NFL, or NHL regular season game, or a non-major PGA golf tournament. That’s up to 5,000 games a year to choose from, among 50 markets nationwide. Get the details: Ultimate Pro Sports Fan Getaway

Samuel Adams Brewery Tour

Airfare not included | Enjoy an unique brewery experience at Samuel Adams Brewery and see the process used to brew this craft beer. This package includes three nights and daily breakfasts for two at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. You can choose the Beyond the Brewhouse Tour or enjoy three exclusive brewery-only barrel aged beers paired with local cheese on the Bierkeller Barrel Aged Experience. Dinner at Oak Long Bar + Kitchen also included. Get the details: Samuel Adams Brewery Tour

 

Taisean

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This is your life

Three weeks ago, he helped clear the land. It was his first time on a job site, but he came ready to learn.

“He’s like a sponge,” the foreman tells us. “He absorbs everything. And he wants to learn how to do things the right way. If he was 18, I’d offer him a job right now. That’s how good he is.”

Taisean still has a couple of years before he’s 18, so there’s time to decide if construction is in his future. Right now his focus is on completing high school, earning money at a part-time job, and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself this year,” he says. “I’ve learned I can do this [construction] and I’ve learned I can be part of a team. When people meet me, I hope they can see that I’m a hard worker.”

Maria

Maria loves animals. All animals.
Creatures with fur, fleece, feathers, scales, shells – they’re all good.
But one is her favorite.
His name is Rusty, and he is the bearded dragon her parents bought for her 11th birthday.
“She loves this thing,” Desta, her mom, laughs. He walks on a leash and sits in her lap to watch movies. “She
talks to him – she’s really attached to him.”
Desta got the idea for Rusty after watching Maria chase lizards all summer at The Refuge, a camp her family runs in rural Greene County.
Maria wants to be a zoological veterinarian, a caretaker of animals unfamiliar and undomesticated, and she’s found her home with a family that sees her passions and strengths.
Every day with Desta and Sammy, living at The Refuge, she is discovering her capacity to learn, love, and grow.