Dear Friend of CTR,
“There are dark shadows on the Earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.” - Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers (1837)
We hold this quote by one of the fathers of winter wonder, Charles Dickens, to be a true thing as we reach out to you with our 2022-2023 Annual Appeal. We are incredibly lucky to do the work we do. We at CTR have experienced so much goodness and light this year, so much growth and community support. We’ve worked with hundreds of children, adults and veterans who live with disabilities and diagnoses towards common goals of healing and growing through the powerful connection between humans and horses.
In total, our team of seven staff and 70+ volunteers provided 1,509 hours of Adaptive Riding Lessons, Discovering Horses Lessons (our unmounted program), Veterans Programming, and Vocational Education to a total of 129 people at the farm. Hundreds more were served through our work out in the community.
We said goodbye to a few herd and family members as they passed from this world into the next. We remember those who left us and the impact they had on our community. We honored them by opening our hearts and welcoming new ones—and sharing with those who joined all the bounty and generosity we received from those we lost.
We have experienced joys and losses, beginnings and endings, progress and challenges, humor and humility in the working of this year. These byproducts of balance and perspective allow us to acknowledge that we have accomplished so much incredible and meaningful work in partnership with our “herd” (both human and horse), as highlighted below.
Local businesses donated in-kind labor and materials to help us make major improvements to our farm and facilities. Tar Heel Construction generously gifted CTR a brand-new roof for the log cabin on our property, which houses our CTR staff offices. Window World of Harford donated and replaced all the windows in that same building.
Local businesses, government, schools, and service organizations also donated their time to bring teams of people for Community Service Days on the farm this year. We are incredibly grateful to Harford County Government, Harford Mutual Insurance Group, the Fallston High School Service Club, and the American Heritage Girl Scout Group for their time and efforts on our farm. Boy Scout, Alexander Visconti dedicated his Eagle Scout project by improving our outdoor arena with a new fence and mounting block; and Girl Scout, Emily Nelson, dedicated her Girl Scout Gold Award project in the form of beautiful new station components for our Sensory Trail.
The United Way also awarded CTR a grant that enabled us to deliver Equine-Assisted Workshops for Mental Health and Well-being to Front Line Workers in the Harford County Community. Staff members from the Humane Society of Harford County; the Harford Academy; Bel Air High School; and the Center for Trauma, Stress and Anxiety came to the farm to focus on fostering Work/Life Balance, Healthy Boundaries, and Team Communication with our healing herd of horses.
BGE also awarded us a Green Energy Grant for the second year, enabling the staff at CTR to dream up and install a Native Maryland Plant Pollinator Meadow along the hillside down the length of our outdoor arena as well, and we thank Heartwood Nursery Owner, Susan Hunter, for her guidance on species, selection, and design. We also thank the CTR Volunteers and Volunteer team from Allan Myers Construction who came to help us prepare the more than 2,000 square feet of land and plant the over 900 flowering trees, shrubs and plants. We cannot wait to showcase our new Pollinator Meadow as it blooms its first full Spring and Summer in 2023.
Please help keep our momentum going! As we grow, we still need financial support!
Anything you, your organization, or your business can donate brings CTR one step further in funding the remaining needs of a challenging and rewarding year.
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” - Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend (1865)
Sincerely,
Cathy Schmidt
Executive Director
$2,500 and Higher -- Gallop
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$1,000 - $2,499 -- Canter
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$500 - $999 -- Trot
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$100 - $499 -- Walk
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Up to $99 - Friend
Chesapeake Therapeutic Riding, Inc., also known as CTR, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation under Internal Revenue Service regulations (Federal Tax ID #26-0068227). A copy of our current financial statement is available by writing CTR at P.O. Box 475 Abingdon, MD 21009 or by calling (443) 528-7793. Documents and information submitted under the Maryland Solicitations Act are also available, for the cost of postage and copies, from the Maryland Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis MD 21401, (410) 974-5534. All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
