January 06, 2009 08:03 pm
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By Mike Pound
Globe columnist
mpound@joplinglobe.com
Erin Wampler e-mailed me the other day with some bad news.
Erin is a volunteer at Magic Moments Riding Therapy near Diamond. The folks at Magic Moments offer riding sessions for children with a variety of disabilities. The sessions serve as a form of therapy for the children. Over the years, the riding sessions have made a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of children. It’s a neat place, and the folks there do tremendous work.
But that’s not why Erin e-mailed me. What Erin wanted me to know is that the tanking economy is taking a toll on the Magic Moments budget. Beyond the nominal fee charged for the riding sessions, the people at Magic Moments rely on donations, the occasional grant and fund-raising events.
Unfortunately, things haven’t been going so great in the donation, grant and fund-raising departments. Erin, in her e-mail, said she learned Friday that the folks at Magic Moments might have to shut their doors soon if things don’t turn around.
So on Tuesday, I dialed up Jeanne Brummet. Jeanne is one of the founders of Magic Moments. Jeanne told me that Magic Moments celebrated its 10th anniversary on Dec. 3. That’s the good news. The bad news, she said, is that there might not be an 11th year.
One problem, Jeanne said, is that last year’s big fund-raiser wasn’t so big. Each February, the folks at Magic Moments hold a Bowling Roundup. Bowlers solicit donations to take part in the event. In the past, the fund-raiser has raked in a significant amount of money, but last year, for the first time, the event fell short.
“The economy was already slowing down, and last year we only got half of what we needed, which put us behind the eight ball, and we’ve never been able to catch up,” Jeanne said.
Both of Rona Odgen’s two children have spent time at Magic Moments. Her 8-year-old son is taking weekly riding sessions, and Rona said she doesn’t know what she’ll do if Magic Moments has to close.
“(Magic Moments) has been a life-changing experience for both of my children,” she said. “My daughter wouldn’t be where she is now without it, and my son continues to make gains in leaps and bounds. I’m concerned that without their help, he won’t be able to get through school.”
I’ve been to Magic Moments before, and it was neat to watch the kids’ expressions change the second they got on their horses. It was neat to see their confident expressions and their smiles. It was neat to watch the way the horses reacted to their young riders. Rona said she’s convinced that the horses know their riders need their help.
“People think I’m crazy, but I’ve seen it. They do know,” she said.
Yep, things are tough at Magic Moments right now, but Jeanne and her son, John, are hanging in there. Times have been tough before, Jeanne said, and somehow they’ve always managed to pull through. This particular time seems to be the toughest, but Jeanne plans to fight on. She told me Tuesday that she was meeting with her board that night to discuss the upcoming Bowling Roundup. There has been some discussion of canceling the fund-raiser because of the upfront costs associated with it.
“But I think we’re going to take a chance and go for broke and hope it works,” she said.
Jeanne also had another thought. See, Magic Moments has an account set up at Arvest Bank. Folks can walk in and make a donation, or they can mail their donation. It’s a neat deal.
“If 10,000 people were to donate $5, we would have enough to operate for a year,” she said.
I told Jeanne I hope that happens.
Jeanne said that, assuming the board opts to go ahead with the Bowling Roundup, it will be held Feb. 7 at Bowl East. She said folks who want information about the fund-raiser can call her at (417) 325-4490. And for more information, you can dial up the Magic Moments Web page at www.ridingtherapy.com.
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