Having a Blast at the Fourth of July Open House

Over 500 people celebrated the Fourth of July at Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries on July 2, 2022.

Sitting tall on a horse, Larry McDaniel, Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries Founder, greeted guests as they drove up Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries Road, which was lined with thousands of waving American flags.

Sam Coy, one of our property managers, compared the sight of cars snaking down the driveway to the final scene in Field of Dreams.

After shuttles ushered families from their parked cars to Overton Arena, children and families explored the property while running through the inflatable obstacle course, preparing for pony rides, playing yard games, and getting their faces painted.

The Kona Ice truck was never idle, and Matt Buerky and Adam Kinser, as well as the volunteers cutting watermelon and serving food, were hard at work all night long, cooking and serving delicious burgers and hot dogs.

“It was amazing to watch our community of foster families and foster supporters come together to enjoy a night of fun,” Daisy Soto, Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries Volunteer Coordinator, said.

It was such a joy to welcome foster families to The Hill and it was a special privilege to host first-time visitors who had never been to our Harrisburg property before. Several hay rides gave families and supporters tours of the property—driving past the lake and Micah’s bridge, stopping briefly at Cathy’s Home, going past all of our homes, and dropping people off for Home Tours at the Ubl Home.

We are so excited that we got to share parts of Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries history with new visitors, while also celebrating the new foster parents and families that are helping us create a future full of safe homes for children.

This event blew us away—we are amazed at how so many details fell into place, from the morning rain that created such beautiful weather for us to enjoy, to the dedicated volunteers and sponsors whose time, energy, and generosity made the event possible.

“I am touched by the countless volunteers who worked to make this event fun! From set up, trash duty, tear down, and all the in-betweens, I am so grateful for each person who was there on Saturday,” Daisy said.

This is what some of our foster parents had to say about the event:

“I am blown away!” Sarah Hays said. “What an amazing evening. Grateful for all the hard work and organization that went into tonight.”

“That was amazing!” said Stephanie Kreitner said. “Thank you so much! It was such a perfect day for our family.”

“Thank you to everyone who participated in the setting up of this wonderful event!” Lisa Kitchens said. “Everyone had so much fun and loved the fireworks, the pony rides and the food. It was awesome of Kona Ice and Andy’s to participate in it for us. Thank you for a wonderful time–bringing friends together and helping us make new ones. My family looks forward to next year! Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries is the best!”

We are so grateful to our sponsors who donated food, time, and resources to help us put on this event. We could not have done this without your support!

We are already excited for next year. Mark your calendars for July 1, 2023—we would love to celebrate with you again!

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