On Veterans Day, Nov. 11th, Student Senate Governors Everest Noyes of Traverse City Central and Zac Featherstone of Traverse City West presented with a check for $10,760.
“It’s just amazing. I’m so impressed with the process and mostly the young people that are just an outstanding example of future leadership,” says Becki Bigelow, Reining Liberty Ranch Executive Director. “They’re really an amazing group and that they put themselves in a position to serve us is really special to us.”
The money was raised during the annual Traverse City Patriot Game between TC West Titans and TC Central Trojans.
The game honors Veterans, first responders, active-duty military and local heroes who have died in service to their country. Money will go towards supporting existing programs.
The ranch has had a difficult time fundraising and finding enough volunteers due to COVID-19.
“We’re coming into this time two years behind, in terms of our fundraising efforts or trying to get moving forward or expansion of programs. [it] has been impossible,” says Bigelow. “This is a big moment for us, and having this money is literally what allows us to go ahead and do some growth and spread out, get a bigger footprint of service within our community.”
Programs focus on people’s trauma they may have experienced or their social-emotional well-being and development.
The hopes are to expand into services for caregivers.
“They’re caring for that person, whatever that might be,” says Dr. Dena Aucoin, therapeutic riding instructor. “Whatever trauma or social-emotional need is being addressed has changed lives. It’s changed life for them as well as for that person experiencing it. When we have that kind of secondary need, if those people aren’t caring for themselves, if they’re not supporting themselves, then their care for the others can be diminished.”
Services for caregivers are still in the developing stage.
“What is so important about this donation is that it’s going to allow us the ability to consider all these other things,” says Dr. Aucoin. “The only constant is change and the only constant for the folks that we serve and the people that we serve is that there they won’t stop experiencing this.”
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