Indiana Paint Horse Club raises $6,000 for St. Jude’s

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—The Indiana Paint Horse Club (IPHC) raised more than $6,000 for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by hosting a one-day trail ride at the Salamonie Reservoir, located in Andrews, Ind. The activity was only one of many community service activities undertaken by the club.

IPHC is one of more than 100 regional clubs affiliated with the American Paint Horse Association (APHA)—which has a total membership of more than 100,000 Paint enthusiasts worldwide.

In addition to involvement with their American Paint Horses and horse shows, club members are active in a variety of fund-raising activities in their communities.

The trail ride benefiting the children of St. Jude was coordinated by APHA lifetime member Laura Mason of Huntington, Ind. The event was part of St. Jude’s Saddle Up program, which gives riders the opportunity to raise money to benefit the children’s hospital.

“This was the first time I had ever done anything like this,” Mason said. “Going into this, I was just hoping to raise at least $3,000. We did a lot better than I expected. Everyone’s generosity in supporting this ride has been incredible.”

About 35 people from the club raised money for the cause. The top fund-raising individuals were awarded various prizes donated by the ride’s sponsors.

Mason said the club plans to make the St. Jude ride an annual event.

The next Indiana Paint Horse Club ride for St. Jude’s will be held on Oct. 7. IPHC members have already started raising money for that event. If you would like to get involved or make a contribution, call Mason at (260) 468-2642, or e-mail pinehollowpnts@earthlink.net.

Mason said the goal for 2006 is to raise at least $5,000.

More about the Indiana Paint Horse Club
IPHC has been actively involved as an APHA regional club for many years. It has been recognized for the past 12 years for exemplary service to its members and its community.

The club has more than 300 active members within Indiana and hosts at least four trail rides each year as part of its “Ride Indiana” program. This program recognizes members for the time they spend riding or driving their American Paint Horses in Indiana. At its annual awards banquet, participants are recognized for reaching one of several hours-ridden milestones.

For more information about IPHC, visit inphc.org. To become a member, download a membership form at inphc.org/membershipform, or contact Mike Carlson at (574) 278-7312, e-mail cshohors@pwrtc.com. For more information about Ride Indiana, contact Laura Mason at (260) 468-2642, e-mail pinehollowpnts@earthlink.net.

More about St. Jude and the Saddle Up program
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving the lives of children afflicted with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world.

To learn more about St. Jude, how you can make a contribution or how to host a Saddle-Up event, call (800) 567-0675. To learn more about the Saddle-Up program on-line, log onto stjude.org/saddleup.

St. Jude will supply a guide packet to assist those interested in hosting a Saddle-Up event in organizing and planning a ride.

More about APHA
Currently, American Paint Horses are being registered at the association’s Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters at a rate of more than 40,000 horses each year. APHA has registered more than 845,000 horses in 49 nations and territories since it was founded 44 years ago.

Among its many activities, APHA works to preserve bloodlines and maintain the outstanding characteristics of the American Paint Horse breed. For more information about APHA, contact the association at (817) 834-2742, or visit apha.com.