
WILLIAMSBURG — Williamsburg Community Foundation continues to celebrate its 25th Anniversary across the community with monthly surprise grants to local nonprofits, with the June grant awarded to Dream Catchers therapeutic riding center.
At its 25th Anniversary Celebration & Campaign Kickoff earlier this year, the foundation held a drawing for its supporters to select individuals who would have the honor of choosing grant recipients. The June grant was presented by Debbie Maddocks, who presented the check to Nancy Williams, Executive Director of Dream Catchers, and Hondo, who represented the nonprofit’s 18 therapy horses.
“Dream Catchers has been near and dear to our hearts for as long as I can remember, particularly because of my late husband Mike’s lifelong love of horses,” said Maddocks. “From his childhood riding days to sharing the joy of fox hunting with our daughter, horses have been a source of happiness and connection for our family. Winston Churchill once said, ‘There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man,’ and I couldn’t agree more. Horses have a magical way of touching our lives and supporting Dream Catchers with this grant felt like a natural choice.”
According to its website, Dream Catchers “enriches the lives of children, adults, and families through equine assisted services offering education, empowerment, healing, and hope,” noting its “programs utilize the unique qualities of horses to serve a diverse community of people living with disabilities, at-risk youth and veterans.”
Williams thanked Maddocks and the Foundation for the unexpected grant, commemorating the foundation’s milestone anniversary.
“We are grateful for the philanthropic mission of Williamsburg Community Foundation,” said Williams. “We congratulate the Foundation on its 25th anniversary and are delighted to receive a surprise grant commemorating this milestone. For many years, the Foundation’s support has fueled our work, most recently one of their Community Grants has allowed us to purchase essential equipment to launch a new therapeutic driving program and this surprise grant will bolster these efforts. This program will have a profound impact on the individuals we serve, further empowering them through the power of equine therapy.”
For more information about Dream Catchers, visit dreamcatchers.org.
Read more: Dream Catchers: More Than Just Horseback Riding
According to the Williamsburg Community Foundation, it launched a 25th Anniversary Campaign in celebration of its milestone to expand the Community Endowment, enabling it to increase its grant-making capacity for years to come. With aa goal of $750,000, the campaign will boost annual grants by $25,000 in perpetuity. To maximize the impact of every contribution, several donors have offered a 1:2 matching challenge, effectively tripling the impact of individual donations, it said.
“The campaign invites the community to join together in creating lasting positive change,” said Nancy Sullivan, President and CEO of the Williamsburg Community Foundation. “Donations to the campaign ensure that we can continue supporting vital projects, initiatives, and organizations that are addressing pressing needs and promising opportunities in our community.”