Ride On St. Louis was invited to attend a grant ceremony with Cardinals Care on September 16th. The event included Broadcaster Dan McLaughlin, President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak, and Executive Director of Cardinals Care Michael Hall, and was attended by Ride On St. Louis Director Marita Wassman, Grant Manager BriAnn Session and volunteer Bookkeeper Jeanne Johnson. The foundation awarded close to $200,000 to area nonprofits during this ceremony, which was the second award ceremony of 2019. Ride On St. Louis's grant will help provide new program equipment.
Ride On St. Louis first received support from the foundation in 2007 and used the grant money to purchase a child's saddle that is still in use today at the program. Since then, Ride On St. Louis has continued to receive support from the foundation through participation in a competitive granting process. The foundation has provided support to purchase everything from horse blankets, helmets, saddles, arena footing to even a portion of our horse trailer, arena tiller and Polaris. Approximately 175 nonprofit proposals are selected each year from the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area including counties of both Missouri and Illinois. "We are really fortunate to receive this grant funding," says Session. "It has allowed us not only to serve a variety of children with different needs and abilities, but to also serve them with quality equipment in a safe environment. This year, even without a permanent home, we've been able to serve 73 children and adults with disabilities so far. Quality in all areas is a priority. When it comes to our equipment purchases, research, experience, needs and fiscal responsibility help ensure that we provide an exceptional experience with wonderful outcomes for our clients, volunteers and horses."