Sunday Lifestyles

Gift baskets, events keep Centaur Stride moving

For those who experience the healing connection between people and horses, the benefits can be life-changing. But behind every therapy-horse session is an organization working hard to keep services accessible, fees affordable, and opportunities available to as many people as possible.

That work takes more than horses and a willing heart. It takes community support.

Fundraising has become an important part of making our programs possible. Our dedicated supporters continually find creative ways to raise money--from themed gift baskets and special events to other imaginative fundraising efforts. These projects may look simple when they are finished, but countless hours go into planning, gathering donations, creating displays, assembling baskets and finding ways to make each fundraiser appealing and successful. (And the behind the scenes clutter is unbelievable! The sooner we can assemble baskets, the faster we can clear up that mess.)

We are deeply grateful to the people who give their time, energy and creativity to these efforts.

Every Donation Helps

One of the easiest ways our community can help is by donating new items for our fundraising baskets throughout the year. Gift certificates, household items, personal-care products, local experiences, specialty items and other new goods can all become valuable additions to future baskets. Maybe you have something new just sitting in a closet. What a useful and generous way to repurpose that item.

Right now, we have an especially immediate need for gift cards, particularly for groceries and gasoline. A gift card, when combined with other donations and the many hours volunteers put into creating a fundraiser, can become part of something much larger and have greater appeal.

Keeping the Mission Accessible

Our goal is not simply to raise money. It is to make sure that financial barriers do not prevent people from benefiting from the unique connection between humans and horses.

Keeping fees as low as possible requires creativity, persistence and the generosity of our community. Fundraisers help bridge the gap between what participants can reasonably afford and the real costs of maintaining programs, caring for horses and meeting everyday operating expenses.

So, the next time you see one of our fundraising baskets, remember that there is much more behind it than the items inside. There are donated goods, generous community members, creative ideas, volunteer hours and a shared commitment to making therapy-horse experiences available to more people.

If you can contribute gift cards--especially for groceries or gas--please mail them to: Centaur Stride, PO Box 174, Westfield, NY 14787. Basket items or complete baskets can be dropped off at the barn at 8488 Jones Road, Sherman, NY 14781. Be sure to put name, address and phone number so we can acknowledge your donation.

Your donation may start with a basket, but its impact can reach much further: helping keep our programs affordable, supporting our horses, and opening the door for more people to experience the benefits of therapy horses.