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The Hitching Rail Wellness Center and Retreat
December 9, 2023 @ 11:00 am - 2:00 pm PST
“Working with horses, gave me a renewed sense of happiness” -James, participant.
Many veterans and first responders in our community suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (P.T.S.D). These individuals have taken an oath to serve and may face traumatic situations that leave a lasting impact.
This is where The Hitching Rail Wellness Center and Retreat helps. Founded by Navy veterans, Jim and Lily Carlson, they turned their 14-acre ranch in Renton into a healing center for veterans and first responders. Jim, now 98 years old, served in WWII and Lily, a nurse, served during the Korean and Viet Nam wars.
The Hitching Rail provides equine assisted therapy for our veterans and first responders in the Puget Sound region. Equine therapy has strong benefits for physical and mental health including accepting responsibility, strengthening confidence, humility, patience and taking care of yourself and others.
All of this is done for free for veterans and first responders in need. We are a 100% volunteer driven 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations, grants, and funds raised goes directly to feeding and caring of the horses, equine therapy trainers, social work support and grounds maintenance.
Each year, The Hitching Rail holds a holiday event and invites the community to attend. This year it is Saturday, December 9th, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. It’s an opportunity for people to gather, see the ranch and learn about the program. We have activities for the kids, horse grooming, Santa, live music, and hot cocoa/cider.
Please join us for this fun event and RSVP on our website so we know you’re coming! We have a suggested donation of $25.
If you are a business, we invite you to join us in supporting our Veterans and First Responders by becoming a sponsor for the event. Your involvement will strengthen the support and visibility of our program in the community. And, with your permission, your company name/logo will be prominently displayed in our materials and website. We have various sponsorship levels from $200 to $5,000 and for sponsorships at $800 & above, your company logo will be placed on a 6-foot banner in our covered riding arena where our participants and volunteers will view it throughout 2024. If you are interested please send an email with your contact information to [email protected] and we will follow-up with you to provide more details.
Please join us in supporting our Veterans and First Responders.
Thank you,
Sue Terry, Board Chair, Catherine Kanda & Sara Kimbrel, Volunteers
The Hitching Rail Wellness & Retreat Center
Visit https://www.facebook.com/thehitchingrail/ to learn more.
