The We Can Ride 4-H Club invites the public to its annual Ride & Walk-a-Thon at Russ Forest County Park Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to noon.
We Can Ride is a horse-riding 4-H club for special needs children from Cass and Berrien counties. They learn to ride, show and care for horses through the summer and participate in the Berrien County Youth Fair.
The Ride & Walk-a-Thon raises money to keep the program affordable for families of children with special needs including autism, Down syndrome and other physical and developmental challenges.
Participants can collect pledges or provide a donation. Horse owners can bring their horses to ride; others may walk the trails and enjoy the beauty of the park. Lunch and other refreshments will be available to participants, and anyone collecting more than $30 in pledges or donations will receive a T-shirt (while supplies last).
Many of the 4-H members would not otherwise have an opportunity to interact with horses. The program allows them to build confidence as they learn new skills from volunteer instructors and horses. All donations are tax-deductible and will be used to keep We Can Ride running throughout the year.
Russ Forest is located on Marcellus Highway, eight miles east of Dowagiac.
Checks should be made payable to the We Can Ride 4-H Club and can be turned in at the event registration or mailed to: We Can Ride 4-H Club, 2791 Chamberlain Rd., Niles, MI 49120. For more information, call Lisa Myers (269) 362-2370.