The Balladeer Children’s Program had some great events in April, including a chance to have fun with new technology and a chance to visit an ancient cave.
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.
April events
STREAMWORKS
- The Balladeers made a first-of-its-kind visit for a private STEM event at STREAMWORKS on April 11, with almost 150 in attendance.
- Families were able to visit and rotated through five stations:
- Drone Flying – Kids experience drone flying on their own.
- Sphero Bolts (coding robots) – Practice navigating these though an obstacle course.
- RVRs (robotic all-terrain vehicles) – Direct the vehicles through a series of challenges.
- Binary Code Bracelet Station – Create their bracelets using binary code for their initials.
- Mini Moonbase Challenge – Use coding and technology to navigate the GoBilda and RoboMaster devices through a series of challenges themed around a moonbase
Bristol Caverns
- Families were able to receive free admission to Bristol Caverns on April 25, with over 150 people attending. Brunch Box food truck was in attendance and provided delicious food options.
- Many kids saw the resident bat in the cave, and several received “cave kisses,” which is when water drips on you and is a sign of good luck!
Event photos
STREAMWORKS
Bristol Caverns
Upcoming events
May 23 – Balladeer Service Project Day (2101 Signal Drive, Johnson City)
- Three work sessions: 8-11 a.m., noon-3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m.
- Registration is closed, but you can still show up the day of the event and volunteer! Bring a friend along, as well.
- Sweet treats provided to all who attend, and families who attend can enter to win a family prize pack.
May 30 – Trout Derby (Blountville)
- Registration is closed for this event.
- Balladeer children will be able to enjoy trout fishing from 9 a.m. to noon.
June 20 – Father’s Day Pool Parties (Kingsport and Jonesborough)
- Pool parties are open to all Balladeer families.
- More information and registration will be sent soon!
- Sweet treats will be provided for all who attend.
June (dates TBD) – Family Baseball Tickets
- Families will have the opportunity to win tickets to see an Appalachian League baseball game of their choosing!
- More information and details will be sent soon.
July 11 – Doe River Family Day (Hampton)
- Families will have the opportunity to receive free admission to Doe River Gorge for a family fun day!
- Space is limited; more information will be sent soon.
July 25 – Clay Gurus Pottery Workshops (Kingsport)
- We’ll be hosting four sessions for families to come and create their own pottery!
- Sessions will be limited spacing.
- Each session will have a different pottery project.
- More information and details will be sent soon.
Reminders
- The Balladeer Children’s Program is now featured on the Ballad Health Teams App! Check the app to find enrollment information, pictures, Balladeer-exclusive discounts and more.
- Balladeer Dollywood Day, which is typically held in May, will be on Sept. 19 this year. Mark your calendars now! NOTE: We know this is the same weekend as the Rod Run in Pigeon Forge. The event manager told us that Dollywood is typically less crowded on that weekend. While heavy traffic is expected in the area, we think it’ll be a great day at Dollywood! More details to come.
- Unless explicitly stated, Balladeer events are limited to the team member and those who live in their immediate household with them.
- Please honor your commitments to attend events and notify us if you can’t attend. When you register and don’t notify us that you won’t be attending, your spots remain empty when they could have been used by other children and families. This also takes away from our budget, resulting in less events being offered throughout the year.
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.
