The EQUUS Foundation Awards $250,000 in Grants for 2007
RELEASE: September 27, 2007
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: By Phelps Media Group
The EQUUS Foundation, Inc., an outreach organization that promotes the positive use of the horse by supporting projects initiated by nonprofit organizations, recently awarded over $250,000 in grants to 37 charities.
In just five years since its establishment, EQUUS has awarded over $850,000 in grants to fund projects in three focal areas:
- Those that depend on horses therapeutically to help people—especially children—with life-threatening illness; with mental, emotional and physical disabilities; or who are at-risk of succumbing to a life of violence; horses achieve, in many cases, what people and other animals have not been able to achieve.
- Those that promote the health and welfare of the horse through veterinary research, rescue and rehabilitation; and
- Those that elevate the equestrian sport as a whole by offering relief to equestrians in need and scholarships and grants to support the competition, training and educational needs of equestrians.
Lynn Coakley, EQUUS President, said, "Horse Power" aptly conveys the EQUUS mission. We want to raise public awareness of the power and value of the horse in today's society—athletically as demonstrated in the unique and brilliant sport where men and women teamed with their equine partners compete against each other equally, and age often defies youth—and therapeutically in the magical way horses empower and heal those who care and ride these beautiful animals—whether they come from a privileged background or a disadvantaged one. We are extremely grateful to the hundreds of individuals and organizations that donated to EQUUS in 2007."
"Horse Power—Helping Horses, Horses Helping People" guides the fundraising efforts of the Foundation consisting of two events it sponsors annually in February at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, and in June at the Fairfield County Hunt Club in Westport, CT, and plans to expand the fundraising effort in the near future.
The charities receiving grants in 2007 include:
Public Welfare —Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center (BTRC), Buffalo, NY, www.thebtrc.com,
—Camp for All, Houston, TX, www.campforall.org,
—City Slickers, Inc., Wolcott, CT,
—City to Saddle, Weston, MA, www.citytosaddle.org,
—Equi-Kids Therapeutic Riding Program, Virginia Beach, VA,
—Garfield Park Academy, Willingboro, NJ, www.garfieldparkacademy.org,
—Giant Steps School & The American Institute for Neuro-Integrative Development, Southport, CT, www.giantstepsct.org,
—Green Chimneys Children's Services & School, Brewster, NY, www.greenchimneys.org,
—Heritage Schools, Provo, UT, www.heritagertc.org,
—High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc., Old Lyme, CT, www.highhopestr.org,
—The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Inc., New Haven, CT, www.holeinthewallgang.org,
—Horses in the Hood, Tarzana, CA, www.horsesinthehood,org,
—Living Bridges International Inc., Glenyeare Equestrian Program, Lumberton, NJ,
—Navajo Preparatory School, Inc., Farmington, NM,
—New Canaan Mounted Troop, Inc., New Canaan, CT, www.newcanaanmountedtroop.org,
—Pegasus Therapeutic Riding, Inc., Stamford, CT, www.pegasustr.org,
—Riding For Reading, Burbank, CA, www.ridingforreading.org,
—Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, Loxahatchee, FL,
—We Will Ride Therapeutic Riding, Inc., Ridgefield, CT, www.wewillrideinc.com,
—Work To Ride, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, www.worktoride.net.
Horse Welfare —AAEP Foundation, Inc., Lexington, KY, www.aaepfoundation.org,
—American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), New York, NY, www.aspca.org,
—Bridgeport Police Mounted Unit, Bridgeport, CT, www.bridgeport.ct.us,
—Days End Farm