Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Sheriff Jim Smith, Kosciusko County Prosecutor Brad Voelz and a crew of local first responders are going head-to-head with The Magical Meadows team in a unique fundraising showdown.
On Aug. 7, each participant will rock in a chair at The Magical Meadows for 12 hours straight — or until they individually raise $10,000 in support of the organization’s Growing with Heart Capital Campaign. Between the 10 participants, they have a collective goal of raising $100,000.
All funds raised will go toward building a dedicated riding arena for veterans and first responders — a space for healing, connection and growth, according to a news release from The Magical Meadows. This building project aims to enhance and expand the Warriors Mount Up program, which is designed to help veterans and first responders work through the stressors and trauma they live with on a daily basis.
“We’re honored to have the support of Sheriff Jim Smith, Prosecutor Brad Voelz, and other warriors in our community who believe in the life-changing mission here at The Magical Meadows,” said Michael Kuhn, executive director. “We look forward to seeing the transformational impact this fun and unique fundraiser has on the men and women who have served our country and communities so faithfully.”
Each participant will have their own fundraising page for people to donate toward their $10,000 goal. The public is also welcome to stop by in-person during the Rockathon event to drop off donations, encourage the participants, and observe riding lessons happening in real-time at The Magical Meadows.
The current participant fundraising pages can be found at https://www.themagicalmeadows.org/rockathon/
The new veterans/first responders arena is one of two new buildings that will be constructed this year as part of the non-profit’s Growing with Heart Capital Campaign. The east arena will boast 14,000 square feet and will consist of a large dirt floor riding arena, a lounge room, accessible restrooms, stalls for horses, a tack room and storage for veterinary supplies and materials.
The west arena will have the same dimensions as the east facility, but its focus will be on serving individuals with disabilities and expanding the capacities of the nonprofit’s legacy therapeutic horseback riding programs. The west arena will also include a spacious observation room for families and caregivers of the riders, accessible restrooms, a tack room and storage space.
The project will cost $2 million, with approximately $1.7 million allocated to construction costs. The other $300,000 will help cover anticipated increases in operating expenses like utilities, depreciation, insurance and the addition of two new full-time staff members for two years to help continue growth in programming.
The Magical Meadows expects to see significant increases in participant numbers thanks to the expansion of available service space. The new facilities will also be fully equipped to accommodate year-round programming. Historically, therapeutic horseback riding at The Magical Meadows has only run from April through November each year. The new arenas will both be insulated and fully heated so there will not be any interruptions to services throughout the year except for holidays and cases of severe weather, according to the release.
Program numbers for individuals with disabilities are expected to grow from 120 to more than 400 annually, while veteran/first responder participation will likely grow from 50 to 250 annually.
In addition to the growth in individual participants, the organization anticipates this project fostering new partnerships with schools, service providers, nonprofits and other organizations to expand the types of services that will be offered on site at The Magical Meadows.
Construction is expected to begin this fall with a goal of being completed by summer of 2026. You can learn more at https://www.themagicalmeadows.org/growingwithheart/
