Rounds for the Ranch: Charity Sporting Clay Tournament
Join us for an exhilarating day of clay shooting at the Highland Sportsmen's Club and Solu Winery! On Fri Jun 07 2024, starting at 2:00, we are hosting the Rounds for the Ranch: Charity Sporting Clay Tournament. Grab your shotgun and get ready for some friendly competition in support of a great cause!
Whether you're a seasoned shooter or a beginner, this event is perfect for everyone. Challenge yourself on our meticulously designed sporting clay course, filled with various targets to test your skills. Don't worry if you're new to clay shooting, an experienced instructor can be available before the tournament to provide guidance and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants (please let the coordinator know if you'd like this).
Not only will you have a blast shooting clays, but you'll also be making a difference. This tournament is a charity event, with all proceeds going towards supporting the programs at Heaven's Gait Ranch. Your participation will directly contribute to improving the lives of individuals with special needs and veterans with disabilities.
So gather your friends, family, or colleagues and come join us for an unforgettable day of shooting, camaraderie, and giving back. Secure your spot now and be part of the Rounds for the Ranch: Charity Sporting Clay Tournament at the Highland Sportsmen's Club!
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About the Cause: Heaven's Gait Ranch
Thank you again for taking the time to learn about our equine assisted programs at Heaven’s Gait Ranch, Inc. We would like to give you some more information about the history of our nonprofit.
Heaven's Gait Ranch, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to build a compassionate community that embraces individuals who recognize the need to heal and challenge their adversity to grow. Set on 17 acres in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, Heaven’s Gait Ranch incorporated in 2016 with the vision to provide high quality equine-assisted services to individuals with social, emotional, physical, and psychological needs. Our participants currently range in age from 4-78, including individuals with special needs, youth with complex, developmental trauma, and U.S. military veterans with disabilities. It is the goal of the program and each lesson that the individual learns to “live in the moment”, gain confidence, and life skills to incorporate into their everyday lives. Individuals with physical disabilities also benefit from exercises that pinpoint areas like gross and fine motor skills, balance, core stability, posture, hand-eye coordination, etc.
The nonprofit was founded in memory of Elaine McClaren, who purchased the property with the hope of helping veterans in need. When Elaine passed away from cancer in 2012, plans paused until her son Brian and his wife Margaret Mary brought the property’s potential back to life. While conducting market studies on under-served demographics in the area, they co-founded the nonprofit Heaven’s Gait Ranch, Inc. and leased the property from Elaine’s estate to get up and running as a Member Center of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH International).
The co-founders applied for a conditional use permit in 2016 and built the ranch up to commercial code and ADA standards, all with the intention of one day becoming a Premier Accredited Center of PATH International. Due to zoning restrictions, the property would not have the capacity to be the largest therapeutic riding center in the state, but since its inception, the nonprofit has remained committed to becoming one of the best equine assisted service centers in the region.
Since opening for lessons in 2017, Heaven’s Gait Ranch, Inc. has provided over 6,000 equine-assisted services, subsidizing over 4,500 in scholarship funding, and fully sponsoring over 1,500 for U.S. military veterans. Although the pandemic created additional challenges for our small nonprofit to navigate the first five years, individuals and families rallied to keep our mission alive, and we would not be where we are today without their faith, encouragement, and continued financial support. In 2019 an endowment was established to protect and promote the longevity of the nonprofit’s mission, and in 2021, the property was officially donated to the nonprofit, Heaven’s Gait Ranch, Inc. which deepened donor commitment to our cause. Since then, we’ve been able to sustain and expand programs with unrestricted funds to meet increasing demand.
Honoring the legacy that Elaine had envisioned, Heaven’s Gait Ranch, Inc. does not charge U.S. military veterans anything to participate in weekly equine assisted services, while all other lessons are heavily subsidized by donor funding, including participants with long term care needs who receive partial funding from county waiver agencies. In fact, only 16% of our entire operating budget comes from rider/participant fees, while 77% of operational expenses are covered by donations. As a Premier Accredited Center of PATH Intl. that is also a nonprofit, we are committed to providing quality lessons under the highest standards of our industry, while making these services accessible to those in need.
In April 2023, Heaven's Gait Ranch, Inc. was awarded Premier Accreditation through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl). Out of 800 Member Centers nationwide, about 250 hold this designation in the United States.
To earn this designation, two representatives from PATH Intl. visited the property and audited our center's policies and procedures for quality assurance regarding all administrative, facility, equine management, mounted and unmounted standards set forth by PATH Intl. This process is completely voluntary, as a center can pay dues and operate in good faith as a PATH Intl. Member Center; Heaven's Gait Ranch operated as a Member Center from 2016 until April 2023. Nevertheless, Premier Accreditation for Heaven’s Gait Ranch, Inc. had been the goal from the beginning, and while COVID prevented all site visits for over two years, we were eager to keep raising our standards.
In Wisconsin, Heaven's Gait Ranch is one of 23 PATH Intl. Centers, but we are one of only four PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Centers. Heaven's Gait Ranch is the only Premier Accredited Center within driving distance of Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Washington, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, and Brown Counties. With this recognition, we are able to confidently state that we provide safe and effective therapeutic horsemanship lessons to the populations we serve.
Thank you again for your interest in our programs and for your consideration in helping us continue our mission. As a small nonprofit working to make a big difference, good people like you have the power to create a meaningful impact in our community.
Please let us know if you have any questions or need additional information at this time. We appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Margaret Robertson
Program and Volunteer Coordinator
