Every retreat that happens on this mountain, every meal that lands on the table, every moment that feels effortless to the men who come here, exists because of a group of volunteers who show up before the guests arrive and stay after they leave. They carry bags, set up spaces, hold logistics, and make sure that the container is intact so that the magic inside it can happen. Most of them have been doing this for years. Most of them would tell you they get more than they give.
Every summer, Easton says thank you the best way it knows how. It puts everybody on a boat.
“every moment that feels effortless to the men who come here, exists because of a group of volunteers”
Lake George sits about an hour north of campus, a 32-mile stretch of water tucked between the Hudson and St. Lawrence River Valleys. They call it the Queen of the Lakes, and once you’ve seen it on a summer evening you understand why. For most of the past 15 summers, Easton staff and volunteers have sailed those waters together on the Lac du Saint Sacrement, a steamship run by the Lake George Steamboat Company. The trip is funded by tips left by retreat guests for the volunteer team, which means the men who come to Easton Mountain are the ones making this night possible. That feels right.
This year the evening had an extra reason to celebrate. It was also the birthday of our program director Freddy Freeman, known to many of you as Goldenheart, the man whose vision, warmth, and relentless care shapes every single retreat we run. The crew, the buffet, the drinks, and a full evening of music from the genuinely impressive Lacey Allen and Chris Dollard took care of the rest. By the end of the night the dance floor was alive, the conga line was moving, and Arturo was leading it.
To our volunteers: this boat ride is for you. But honestly, nothing we do is possible without you. Thank you for being the backbone of this place and for giving so much of yourselves to a community that loves you back.
