Merrily Curtis Memorial Fund

The Thanksgiving holiday is over, and an attitude of gratitude lingers.  In a wonderful way, gratitude is an essential ingredient of Riding Beyond: while our participants are facing enormous challenges, an alchemy occurs between horses and humans at Riding Beyond, and gratitude is always hugely present at those times.

In the spirit of this gratitude, Riding Beyond has much to give thanks for:

The growing talents of our horses for healing interactions,

Extraordinary volunteers stepping forward to engage in growing the scope of our work,

New financial supporters with Salons for Survivors and the Ta Ta Trot Horse Show

Equine professionals training with us to do this work in their own settings,

Presentations to a widening audience of people becoming aware of the needs of breast cancer survivors, and more.

Plus, it’s important to include gratitude for the difficult challenges, for the lessons learned and the growth gained. One of these challenges recently has been the sudden passing of our volunteer coordinator Merrily Curtis.

Merrily Curtis: In Memoriam

Since 2012, Merrily Curtis was the volunteer coordinator for Riding Beyond. Many were not aware that she was actually afraid of horses since a childhood accident. Yet, in response to her mother’s 15 years of aftereffects from breast cancer treatment which she said “essentially meant the end of my children having a grandmother,” Merrily stepped forward with generosity and enthusiasm to enable others to have a better outcome for their lives. We could always count on her tasty and healthy baked items at every gathering, and she readily hosted many events for Riding Beyond.

In honor of her generous spirit, we have established the Merrily Curtis Memorial Fund. Several of her friends have helped kick-start the fund with gifts in the amount of $640. This memorial fund is the recipient of our Giving Tuesday donations.

Make your contribution here