The third annual equine therapy demonstration and fundraising dinner last weekend received a positive response in efforts to raise funds to keep the program going.
The event, called “Grand Little Riders,” brought together nearly 350 people who were able to see the equine therapy program up close, which provides care for more than 15 children with special needs on a weekly basis in striving to improve their quality of life. Attendees also enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by the children’s families, music by numerous artists, plus a chance to win one of the 90 raffle prizes donated by sponsors.
Claudia Lugo, equine therapy program coordinator, emphasized the event met overall goals – which in large part is to make people aware of how the program works – in addition to fundraising efforts to help care for the horses and the project in general.
Even so, it’s important to stress that only 4 of 15 scholarship children in the equine therapy program have sponsors now, which is why Lugo also invites anyone interested in helping to support a young rider with special needs who may require the therapy. She notes most of the students are low-income, while keeping the program running is costly.
“The equine therapy project works well; we have the children who require the therapy, the parents who support us, and the horses. What is lacking are resources for care and feed for the horses, which is not as easy to cover without the sponsorships,” she detailed.
Despite a successful fundraising and program awareness event, the project currently has about two months to find individual or business sponsors to help support one of the children currently awaiting a sponsor. This will help ensure continuance of the program overall.
Sponsorship is 2000 pesos monthly (about $130 US) per child. If you, or our business or organization, are interested in supporting a young rider in the equine therapy program, please contact them at the Facebook page “Equino Terapia Corceles del Desierto de Sonora”, or you can contact us at info@rockypoint360.com and we’ll make sure contact is made.
