LOCALadk Magazine

Winter 2020 LOCALadk Magazine 45 LOCALadk as the "father of the American theme park," Wood had visit- ed Knotts Berr y Farm in California as a young man, and was fascinated by attractions like the manmade volcano. Antici- pating the need for family entertainment in postwar America coupled with growth in automobile sales, he was determined to enter the amusement park business, and in 1954, a year be- fore Disneyland opened its doors, Wood welcomed families to Stor ytown USA ., which eventually became the much-her- alded Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom. Premier Parks purchased the Great Escape in 1996, changing its name to Six Flags, but the relationship with Double H continues to this day with free weekly visits for summer campers, and the Ranch's yearly Gala held there. Considered both a pioneer and visionar y in the indus- tr y, Wood was equally driven in his philanthropic ventures, which focused on children, healthcare, and the arts. He had watched Paul Newman build The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut in 1988, and Wood wanted to do the same thing in the Adirondacks. After much persuasion, Newman agreed, and Double H became the second camp in what is now the SeriousFun Children's Network, a worldwide com- munity of 16 independent and free of charge camps, dedicat- ed to seriously ill children and their families. Named Double H for Wood's signature toast, "Health and Happiness," the serene grounds include beautiful Lake Vanare, Woodly Field, Robb Run Ski Hill, the Happy Barn, pools, a basketball court, a high ropes course, and a naturally growing tree that looks remarkably like the Double H logo. Max Yurenda has been CEO and executive director of Dou- ble H since inception, and his enthusiasm and love for all that the Ranch represents is evident in ever y stor y he tells about a camper, parent, donor, or volunteer. It invariably ends with that individual becoming a lifelong friend after one visit, and Dr. Ray Walsh and his family are the perfect example. Early on, Max had approached one of the department chairs at Albany Med, and floated the idea of doctors volunteering during the summer. It was clear to him that, in order for the camp to function at its best for these children and their fam- ilies, there would essentially need to be a hospital at camp, with nurses and doctors readily available 24/7. Once the doc- tors arrived that first summer, they quickly saw how unique and life-altering Double H was, and also how much they would learn to make them better physicians. "From a medical standpoint, it was like being in the clinics," Walsh says. "If a child got hit in the head, but also had hemophilia, we needed to treat it differently. We all learned as we went along." Kevin Byrnes

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