Treatment Educat10n Netowrk's HIV Retreat

Shadowcliff founders Pat and Warren Rempel had a son, Scott, who was an early victim of the AIDS virus. He died in 1989. Soon after, they decided to do something to honor him. The Rempels remembered their own experience with Scott and thought, “wouldn’t it be nice if people had a weekend getaway in the mountains – a retreat to get away from a pretty horrible time.”

Soon it was, “why wouldn’t we do this?”

And so, the first HIV retreat at Shadowcliff started in 1991.

Michael Makes it Happen

The Rempels decided to host a retreat for HIV-positive people, providing the entire facility exclusively for a weekend. After this model, the Rempels started working with Michael Dorosh, who first came as an attendee of the retreat. “At the time, everyone just got sick and died,” Michael said. “It happened pretty quickly and life suddenly turned pretty bad.”  There were a series of partnerships and co-directors over the years before Michael became the main driver of the event. He is responsible for organizing and facilitating the program.

Over time, as the disease evolved, so has the retreat. The weekend is more than a reasonably-priced, Mountain getaway. It’s a holistic experience combined with seminars on the latest medical information and alternative therapies. It’s staffed by a doctor from the University of Colorado, internationally known therapists and other volunteers who offer energy work, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, yoga and meditation as part of a full program.

A Safe and Inclusive Environment

“The HIV retreat leans right into the human aspect of our mission for collectively creating a climate for a restorative world,” says Hillary Mizia, Shadowcliff’s former Executive Director. “Sustainability is as much about restoring thoughtful human connection as it as about environmental impact. Our long standing and heartfelt connection with this group is something we deeply cherish and look forward to fostering over many years to come.”

The retreat is open to all adults living with HIV regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, creed, sexual orientation, gender identification, religion, age, employment status, socio-economic status, or health status. Each retreat is limited to 40 participants and 10 volunteers. Tuition is purposely held low and includes all three days’ lodging, meals, activities, body therapy, education, discussion groups and even a talent show.

One of the discussion groups, held around the campfire is entitled Sex, Dating and Disclosure. “It’s a hot topic, because it’s not something that people living with HIV feel comfortable talking about,” said Michael. “Practitioners, case managers and clinicians, all avoid it. They don’t want to talk about it. But, then when the attendees get to the retreat, they can talk freely and candidly about it.”