#GivingTuesday: Curing Kids Cancer… With Help From Horses!
AQHA World Champion, Megan Overberg, helps a CKC kid feed carrots to “Wrangler.”
By: Brittany Bevis
After the indulgence and excess of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s nice to see the world give back to charitable causes on #GivingTuesday. Recently, we had the chance to speak with AQHA amateur competitor, Abigail Pait, to find out a little more about a charity that is near and dear to her heart.
Curing Kids Cancer was founded by Grainne and Clay Owen following the death of their son, Killian, to leukemia in 2003 when he was only nine years old. Killian was just five when he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. He loved playing sports like baseball, basketball, and swimming and hanging out with his brothers. Killian was just one of countless kids who are affected by childhood cancer. According to CKC, childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15 in the US. Furthermore, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer every day. But perhaps the most staggering statistic is that 91,250 children die every year from cancer.
Two years after Killian’s death, in 2005, the Owen family founded the 501 (c) nonprofit that is devoted to funding cutting edge pediatric cancer therapies. Since its founding, Curing Kids Cancer has raised more than $11 million to fund new treatments for childhood and pediatric cancer.
For the past seven years, The University of South Carolina Equestrian team has hosted the Curing Kids Cancer Pony Day at One Wood Farm in Blythewood, SC. Every semester, the equestriennes come together to give back to families, who have kids that have either been diagnosed with cancer or are cancer survivors, with fun activities like riding horses, painting horseshoes, and playing equine-themed games.
Families from Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital, where Curing Kids Cancer is funding a $1.2 million Gamecocks Curing Kids Cancer endowment, are invited to enjoy a day in the company of some sweet horses. The University of South Carolina Equestrian team has hosted this special event for the past seven years, and each year the smiles and giggles abound when the kiddos walk onto the farm and see the horses for the first time.
Past AjPHA President, Meredith Milton, poses with her teammate, a CKC Kid, and the Mierzejewski family’s horse, “Amos.”
“This is a day that allows families to forget about what they’re going through and let the kids enjoy time being kids,” says PR Manager for Curing Kids Cancer, Abigail Pait. “It gives the girls a chance to give back to the community and to families that have been through a lot. The power of horses is so strong. They connect all different people, and they have allowed these girls to help families going through a difficult time have a fun, enjoyable day.”
