Night at the Derby to Benefit Hospital for Special Care’s Manes & Motions
September 13, 2021Webster Bank, Teresa Dufour Champion Therapeutic Riding Center
MIDDLETOWN, CT (September 13, 2021) – A Night at the Derby, a Kentucky Derby-themed fund and friend raising event will be held Thursday, October 7, 2021 at the Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station in Haddam, CT. The event will raise critically needed funds to support Hospital for Special Care’s Manes & Motions Therapeutic Riding Center.
“Manes & Motions provides extraordinary therapeutic horseback riding and equine-assisted learning activities for individuals of all ages living with disabilities,” said Teresa Dufour, founder, Teresa Dufour Media and former news personality. Dufour will serve as a volunteer emcee for this special event. “I fell I love with the horses, the riders and the whole team the first time I met them. The program brings so much value to the community, and they really depend on charitable contributions to make it all happen.”
The Night at the Derby event will feature seasonal mint juleps and light Derby fare with gorgeous views of the Connecticut River. An online auction and virtual horse race featuring Manes & Motions top horses will keep guests entertained and also highlight how the program works with riders to help them reach behavioral, physical, social and emotional goals. The event has been planned with participant health and safety as the first priority. Organizers are encouraging guests who are fully vaccinated to attend in person and will provide virtual options for guests who are not vaccinated or who prefer to participate from home.
“Generous community partners, including our Kentucky Derby sponsor, Webster Bank, have helped us keep Manes & Motions accessible to the community,” said Lynn Ricci, Hospital for Special Care President and CEO. “We’ve seen the need for the program increase dramatically as individuals with disabilities have faced increased isolation, physical deconditioning and heightened anxiety and depression throughout the pandemic. The need for community support to keep this program accessible to our community – and keep our horses fed and cared for – has never been more critical.”
For information on tickets, sponsorship and the online auction, visit Night at the Derby or contact Dee Goodrich at the Hospital for Special Care Foundation at 860-827-4826 or [email protected]