“Beyond” Capital Campaign and Grant Update
We hope this email finds you and your loved ones in good health. The sunny weather is definitely improving our mood! It is also providing a perfect opportunity for the continuation of our capital improvements, thanks to the generosity of our community.
Thanks to a gift from Walsh Construction Co. and the hard work of Ted Varner, we are almost done with the construction of a secondary mounting area for our main arena. This will include a fully accessible mounting ramp and viewing deck for participants and their families. This, combined with our first mounting ramp and viewing deck, will improve the ability for participants to maintain physical distancing while receiving services. We have also completed an outdoor mounting ramp on the outside of the barn, which will allow participants with a variety of mobility levels to mount and ride outside on our trail! Thank you, Walsh and Ted!
Our caretaker’s residence is also almost complete! Funded by a generous donation from board members Chris & Mike Feves, this residence will house two individuals who will ensure our herd has supervision 24/7! The Feves’ generosity will also allow us to construct a storage building with space for unmounted grooming activities as well. Thank you, Chris & Mike!
We continue to receive donations of dirt to finish out the excavation and leveling of the rest of our property. Thank you to Kerr Construction and Hal’s Construction.
And finally, the big announcement…
After submitting a grant application to the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and receiving a top-off grant in 2017, we are thrilled to announce that we have met all conditions necessary to finally receive the awarded $300,000 in funding and that it will be enough to purchase and erect a second arena! This will mean that our Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy program can finally have a covered space to see clients, and that we will be able to expand our program offerings during peak times of day.
We are so excited about all of the opportunities these capital improvements provide to us, and are endlessly grateful to everyone who has supported us in these endeavors. With that said, the gifts that made these projects possible are restricted to our capital campaign. We are still in need of general operating support to help keep our horses (and staff!) well cared for. If you are interested in sponsoring a horse or simply making a gift to our programs, you may do so here.
Using the healing power of horses, Forward Stride has been building lasting relationships, confidence, and new skills. Our programs work together to provide exceptional care, therapy, and support to all participants, human and equine. Everyone has challenges in life. We encourage each person to face them head on with the support of our herd and fellow humans. Along the way, emotional, cognitive, and physical milestones are reached and lifelong friendships are forged.