Today, the Hagerman Foundation presented a $15,000 check to Camp Casey, a non-profit horseback riding program for children with cancer and rare blood disorders at Hurley Children’s Center. The grant will help bring the healing power of horses to children in Genesee County who are battling cancer.
Founded in 2004, Camp Casey has been helping kids fight cancer for twelve years through three cost-free programs. They have served children in Flint in the past, but they are now expanding their program to reach more children being treated at Hurley Medical Center.
“We are thrilled Camp Casey will be receiving support from The Hagerman Foundation to provide the mobile Horsey House Call program for local Genesee County families with children facing blood borne and cancer related illnesses. Having the ability for children to ride and remember they are kids again is such a vital part of the recovery process and beyond, for our smallest patients within our Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit at Hurley Children’s Hospital,” says Mattie Pearson, MSN, RN, Administrator, Women and Children’s Services, Hurley Medical Center.
Camp Casey’s Executive Director, Molly Reeser, explains that the grant will help their program grow a lot quicker than expected, “It means that we’re able to expand our programming to the Flint area sooner than we imagined, and start impacting the lives of children being served at the Hurley Medical Center.”
Camp Casey’s program, Horsey House Calls, takes a horse right to the door of a sick child’s home. Equipped with a therapy horse, an Equine Therapist, and trained volunteers, Camp Casey’s Horsey House Calls provide a day of fun to children with cancer and their families. Horsey House Calls, a 501c3 non-profit, offers a horse lesson, horseback rides, pizza party, craft projects, games, all in the family’s yard – and at no cost to the participants; all of Camp Casey’s programs are free for families facing a pediatric cancer, sickle cell disease, and/or aplastic anemia diagnosis.
“It’s an honor to bring the healing power of horses to the doorsteps of sick children in Genesee County,” shares Jocelyn Hagerman, Founder of The Hagerman Foundation. “As a horsewoman myself, I can understand the therapeutic effects of horses so when learning that Camp Casey needed assistance to bring this magical program to children in our community, it was easy for me to wrap my heart around this cause.”
You can “Like” Camp Casey’s Facebook page to stay updated. You can also visit Camp Casey’s website to get involved or nominate a family for one of Camp Casey’s free services.
