West Virginia All Populations Retreat

Registration is closed.

All adult survivors 18 and older grieving the loss of a loved one who served in the Armed Forces are warmly invited to join TAPS for our West Virginia All Populations Retreat.

The grief journey takes you out of your comfort zone. But when you see that others share this journey, you can find new ways to grow and heal with a little more confidence.

Step away from the daily stressors of life and immerse yourself in a safe environment where you can focus on yourself, honor your loved one and connect with other survivors who understand. Together create new bonds and connect with our surroundings. 

Move beyond your comfort zone in the presence of other surviving families who understand at the West Virginia All Populations Retreat. 

SCHEDULE 

Day 1: The first day is set aside as a travel day. Once you arrive in Lansing, TAPS staff will be there to greet you and get you checked in. Then, the day is yours to get settled in, meet fellow survivors, explore the area and relax.

Day 2: We’ll start the day with an opening ceremony, giving us the opportunity to introduce ourselves and our fallen heroes. You’ll get an overview of what to expect at the retreat, and you'll have a chance to ask questions. The rest of our day will be spent on our group activities, like ziplining and white water rafting. We’ll wrap up with a group dinner in the evening.

Day 3: The third day will include more group activities, as well as some free time to relax and further connect with the other attendees.

Day 4: After our last day of activities, we'll wrap up our time together with a closing ceremony to honor ourselves, our new connections and our journeys.

Day 5: We'll say goodbye and travel home.

ADVENTURE LEVEL

This retreat is rated as a challenging adventure. These are our most physically demanding retreats. Activities will challenge you and may involve heavy physical exertion and demanding environments.

During the retreat, we'll spend a lot of time outdoors and activities will include white water rafting and ziplining. There will also be plenty of time to relax and connect with fellow survivors.

RETREAT FEES

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and sponsors, TAPS will provide lodging, most meals and all activities at no cost to you. A $50 deposit will be collected at the time of registration. At the conclusion of the retreat, you may choose to donate this deposit to TAPS to support future programs; otherwise, it will be fully refunded to attendees.

LODGING AND TRANSPORTATION

Lodging will be provided for all attendees from Wednesday to Sunday. You'll share a room with another retreat attendee. TAPS covers the cost of lodging at no cost to you, and we'll take care of booking your lodging for the retreat. 

You'll need to cover the cost of your transportation to and from Lasing.  The closest airport is Yeager Airport, Charleston West, Virginia. Please do not make travel arrangements until you receive a welcome email after registering.

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Registration is now closed.  Registration is conducted on a first come, first served basis; a waitlist will form once registration has reached capacity. Please keep in mind we hold a number of spots in each event for first-time attendees, so don't be discouraged if you're added to the waitlist. You'll receive an email if a spot becomes available for you.

If you have attended a TAPS retreat within the past 12 months, we kindly ask that you wait until June 5th at 3 p.m. Eastern to register for this event. Previous attendance will not automatically be recognized due to pending registration system updates, but it will be manually verified. Any registrations violating this rule will be canceled, and you will be able to try again after 3 p.m. Eastern on the 5th.

Upon registration, you'll receive a confirmation email. Please email support@taps.org and retreats@taps.org if you do not receive a confirmation email after registering. Within 48 hours, you'll receive a welcome email from TAPS Retreats staff that includes information about accommodations, flights, etc. Please do not book your flight until you receive the welcome email.

If you have any questions, please email retreats@taps.org or call 800-959-TAPS (8277).