MOUNT HOLLY, NC – It was announced at the end of the year that one of the Speedway Children’s Charities grantees receiving a portion of the $406,000 granted would be Mt. Holly based nonprofit Shining Hope Farms—a nonprofit that provides equine assisted activities and therapies across their three locations in the western Piedmont region of North Carolina. Shining Hope Farms was one of 38 local nonprofits who received a grant from the charity.
Speedway Children’s Charities has been a regular supporter of Shining Hope Farms, providing them with 10 grants over the past decade plus. The grant will provided funds for the their Therapy Services Program, where occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech and language pathology professionals use the equine for a treatment strategy called Hippotherapy which engages sensory, neuromotor, and cognitive systems to achieve functional outcomes. It is the only one of its kind in the Charlotte Metro area.
“Our goal at Shining Hope Farms is to provide equitable access to our services including our therapy program. This means making sure that everyone can afford to access our programs no matter what their income bracket is. It’s rare to find this with an equine assisted activities and therapies program like ours and it’s because of the generous support from Speedway Children’s Charities that this is possible,” said Executive Director Milinda Kirkpatrick.
The grant generously awarded by Speedway Children’s Charities will help Shining Hope Farms to serve many children a week no matter what the family’s financial means are.
Speedway Children’s Charities works hard to fundraise all year in order to provide critical grants to so many charities. Fundraising efforts include drive-in movies, Laps for Charity track rides, and providing golf cart shuttles to fans during major race weekends, among other activities.
Milinda added, “It’s been incredible to have had the support of Speedway Children’s Charities all of these years. Our staff and volunteers work so hard to ensure that our clients are succeeding and reaching their goals and it’s so rewarding for everyone after another year of hard work to learn that we’re a fortunate recipient of a grant yet again.”
The Charlotte chapter of SCC is one of seven located at Speedway Motorsports racing facilities across the country. Since inception in 1982, SCC has awarded in excess of $60 million to nonprofit organizations throughout the nation.
About Shining Hope Farms
Shining Hope Farms is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to enable children and adults to reach their full potential through the use of equine assisted activities and therapies. Programs provided include physical, occupational, and speech therapy utilizing equine movement as a treatment strategy called Hippotherapy. Shining Hope Farms is the only facility offering this treatment strategy in the counties that they operate in. Equine assisted mental health counseling is also offered along with therapeutic riding for children and adults including Veterans. They are a Premier Accredited Center of PATH Intl. (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International) as well as a member of the American Hippotherapy Association. Locations include sites in Charlotte, Mt. Holly, and Conover, NC. Between the three locations there are 30+ horses and 50 staff members consisting of occupational and physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, PATH Intl. certified riding instructors, and administrative staff, plus many wonderful volunteers. Shining Hope Farms is also a GuideStar Exchange Gold participant, a leading symbol of transparency and accountability among nonprofits. For more information, please visit the website at shininghopefarms.org or call 704-827-3788.