Dream Catchers at the Cori Sikich Therapeutic Riding Center celebrated its 6th annual Catch a Dream Campaign & Horse Show with friendly competition and satisfied appetites. Held March 4, 2018, a crowd of 200 gathered to culminate the month-long fundraiser that helps keep the cost of lessons as low as possible for the participants and their families.
Returning as both the Title Sponsor and Catering Donor, Jay Pierce and the Pierce’s PITT Bar-B-Que team wowed the attendees with its famous barbeque. In addition to the complimentary meals, Pierce’s sponsored the event for $2,000 and funded two Dream Rider Scholarships for the spring session. In 2017, Pierce’s initial headliner support of Catch a Dream was followed by its generous $5,000 sponsorship of therapy horse Norman, highlighted in this video.
The Catch a Dream Campaign & Horse Show is rooted in the spirit of teamwork. There were 45 “Dream Teams” of participants, their friends and families, and volunteers who fundraised for four weeks leading up to the horse show. More than 20 sponsors joined in to help make the event a success.
During the horse show, Janet Mayberry Laughlin, interim executive director at Dream Catchers, presented the prestigious Angie N. Johnson Student Achievement Award to Abby Jones, who has been riding at the Center for 12 years. This Student Achievement Award, named for Angie N. Johnson who was a devoted volunteer and very generous philanthropist, recognizes one participant annually for exceptional accomplishments.
Dream Catchers provides a variety of equine-assisted activities and therapies for participants ages four to over 100 with a team of 13 horses and more than 17,500 volunteer hours each year. The non-profit organization provides 100 sessions weekly to children and adults with one or more of 150 special needs.
“Jay Pierce and Pierce’s PITT Bar-B-Que continue to be generous, engaged sponsors of Dream Catchers allowing our students to receive life-changing therapeutic services from our staff professionals,” says Janet Mayberry Laughlin, interim executive director at Dream Catchers.
For more information about Dream Catchers at the Cori Sikich Therapeutic Riding Center, please call (757) 566-1775 or visit DreamCatchers.org.
Submitted by Amy Kerr
