The month of May for the Balladeer Children’s Program included one of the biggest and most popular events of the year — Dollywood Day!
The Balladeer program, a free benefit for Ballad Health employees, is intended to strengthen family bonds and relationships among our Ballad Health family. Activities include visits to area attractions, picnics in local parks, holiday celebrations and activities, sports activities, discount tickets for attractions or events, treats, take-home projects and much more.
Here’s what the Balladeers have been up to lately and what they’ve got coming up.
May events
Dollywood Day
- Balladeer families were invited to attend the Balladeer Dollywood Day on Saturday, May 10.
- Over 650 children attended this event, plus their family members and other guests who joined them. Estimate of close to 2,000 people there on behalf of the Balladeer Children’s Program!
- Each Balladeer child received a complimentary admission ticket and a $10 meal voucher, which was redeemable at any food stand or restaurant inside of Dollywood
- Despite there being an earthquake nearby at the beginning of the day, our families had a wonderful time! The weather was beautiful and mild for most of the day (rain came in the evening).
- This is our biggest event every year, and we look forward to returning in 2026!
May event photos
Upcoming events
- June: Family Baseball Nights *more details and registration will be sent soon!*
- June 14 Family Baseball (Kingsport) 7 p.m. Registration has closed
- June 22 Family Baseball (Greeneville) 2 p.m.
- June 28 – Family Baseball (Johnson City) 7 p.m.
- June 28 – Family Baseball (Elizabethton) 6:30 p.m. *NOTE: This is a rescheduled game from June 7 due to weather.
- July 11: Family Race Night (Kingsport Speedway) 6 p.m. *more details and registration will be sent soon!*
- July 27: Family Pool Party (The Wellness Center) *more details and registration will be sent soon!*
- NOTE: We’re also working again to secure Balladeer passes at local pools in Marion, Abingdon, Rogersville, Wise and Lebanon. More communication on this will be sent at a later date.
- Aug. 9: Decades Dance (Kingsport) *more details and registration will be sent soon!*
- Aug. 23: Balladeer Family Movie Night (Johnson City) *more details and registration will be sent soon!*
- Sept. 13: Balladeer Corn Maze Night at Fender’s Farm (Jonesborough) 4-7 p.m. *more details and registration will be sent soon!*
- Sept. 20: Balladeer Corn Maze Night at Stickley Farm (Bluff City) 2-4 p.m. *more details and registration will be sent soon!*
Reminders
- Program members, please watch for an email regarding the Balladeer liability waivers. These must be updated every fiscal year, which means we will need all members to sign a new waiver beginning July 1.
- Dates for events are on our Balladeer calendar for the remainder of 2025 with more being added each day, so be sure to check that calendar and plan ahead!
- If your address has changed, please be sure to update with us by clicking the link below! Our system is not connected with your employee portal, so we don’t have a way of knowing your address has changed unless you tell us: Balladeer Information Update Requests
- Events are limited to ONLY those family members who live in your household. Please do not bring additional family members or friends to events unless the registration explicitly states that additional guests are permitted for that event.
- If you are part of the program and have a younger child who has turned 3 or is turning 3 soon, please remember to officially register them in the program so that they can receive their welcome gift and receive Balladeer benefits.
About the Balladeer Children’s Program
While enrolling in the Balladeer Children’s Program is free, there is a cost associated with some of the activities.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Balladeer Children’s Program is for Ballad Health direct hires who have children between the ages 3-18 years old living in their household. They MUST live with you to qualify for the program.
- Here’s an FAQ about eligibility for the Balladeer Children’s Program, posted to the Balladeer site on the Ballad Health intranet.
- Click here to access the program enrollment form.
- Check out the updated Balladeer Children’s Program site on the Ballad Health intranet.
Once you’re enrolled, please remember that you must register for any Balladeer event you wish to attend. Registration and information are sent via email at least two weeks prior to an event. If you aren’t receiving Balladeer emails, please reach out to Shawna DeHart at shawna.gragg@balladhealth.org.
