Please take a moment to read our Annual Appeal letter and help us make many more smiles happen! December 2013
“There is this transformation when he gets on a horse…..”
Dear Friend,
It has been a inspiring time at Blue Rider Stables, thanks largely to your generous support over the last year. We continue to be committed to creating an even more robust future for the stable, confident that our work has lasting impact. Here’s what BRS Board member Rudd Kierstead said about his son:
“Willem has Dravet’s Syndrome and his weekly riding lesson is a barometer for how he is doing overall. His instructors are so in tune with him, they can tell when there has been a change in his medication. The feedback I get from his instructors regarding his neurological and physical status is helpful to me as a parent. My son does not engage his core muscles in his daily life and struggles to walk or even sit up straight. While he is riding, I see him using his trunk muscles in order to sit up straight and tall on his horse. There is this transformation when he gets on a horse. I am a numbers guy, and very clinical in my life-these lessons just work!”
As we celebrate our twenty-second year as Berkshire County’s leading therapeutic riding stable, we seek your continued support for our operation and growth so more people can experience the transformation available from Blue Rider Stables and its four-legged therapists. We are excited to share these results from last years donations:
★ We were able to maintain 4 full-time and 3 part-time instructors, and tripled the attendance of this years Summer Camp, a critical step to building capacity for an enlarged indoor riding ring!
★ We have completed a full survey of all BRS-owned and adjacent pasture properties to allow us to strategize necessary land transactions to secure our future.
★ Our $12,000 Scholarship Fund supported a broad spectrum of ages and abilities in our
community, giving a large group of area residents a chance to enjoy equine activities.
★ Our $15,000 Equine Health Care Fund provided for a year of treatments, allowing the horses to continue their amazing work in good health.
This holiday season, our goal is to raise $25,000, and with eight generous promised matching grants, this means any gift you give until December 31 will be DOUBLED, bringing the total to $50,000! The funds will be used to:
★ Replenish our Equine Health Care Fund, to cover our horse’s alternative treatments……..($12,500)
★ Rebuild the Scholarship Fund, to support families in need………………………………………………….($12,500)
★ Add to our Capital Campaign to secure property to allow for the indoor riding ring …….($10,000)
★ Provide offset for the salaries for four full-time instructors……………………………………………….($15,000)
As 2013 comes to a close, please help us increase the sense of peace and joy in our community with your generous support. It makes a huge difference that Blue Rider Stables exists to provide an holistic, educational environment where children, adults and animals come together to experience transformation and healing in a non-judgmental setting. As BRS is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), your gift to Blue Rider Stables is 100% tax-deductible!
It’s quick and easy to contribute with Paypal: DONATE NOW!
or print the pdf and send a check.
Your generous donation in the amount of $25, $50, $100 or more enables our mission of healing to continue.
Many thanks, and best wishes for a joyous and prosperous 2014.
Sincerely,
BRS Board of Directors:
Michael Fernbacher,
Gene Gollogly,
Tayo Kaufman,
Rudd Kierstead,
Carla Sadoff,
Anna Stanton
P.O. Box 924 , Great Barrington, MA 01230 (413)528-5299
blueriderorg@hotmail.com
bluerider.org EIN#04-3119557
