Thank you, Redmond community, for your support of Little Bit

I want to sincerely thank the Redmond community and beyond for their tremendous support of Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center (littlebit.org), most recently through the Little Bit 2018 Reins of Life Auction and GIVE BIG fundraising appeal. My daughter, Emma, has received occupational therapy at Little Bit since the age of two and in 2018, after reaching her therapy goals, graduated from therapy to the Little Bit Adaptive Riding Program, allowing her to continue riding surrounded by expertise and acceptance for as long as she is able.

The therapy Emma received at Little Bit is unlike any other treatment and provided a vital service and measurable outcomes for Emma while at the same time appearing to Emma as her sport or play time with a horse. Emma was born with 2q37 deletion syndrome, a micro deletion on her second chromosome. When she first arrived at Little Bit, she was not able to walk without support. Today, Emma is an active kindergartner who can now independently participate on the playground with her peers and has the increased confidence to push past her physical limitations. Of course, the anticipated therapeutic benefits are why we approached Little Bit and the primary reason we continue to stay, but the strength of the community and overwhelming acceptance of every individual regardless of their disability is what drives us even more to stay, despite the cost. I know many other Little Bit families feel the same. The bond that Emma has developed with her team--horse, therapist, instructor, volunteers--is priceless.

Little Bit does everything it can to help offset that cost, and for nearly all families, it offsets the cost up to 75 percent depending on the program. This is why fundraising events and appeals, such as the auction and GIVE BIG, are vital to the continuation of offsets at such a high percentage. On behalf of the entire Little Bit community, I want to express my full gratitude to the residents of Redmond, our home city, and all those who have supported Little Bit. I’ve seen magical and life-changing experiences happening in Redmond, and I am humbled by our community’s generosity.

Sincerely,

Robert Graves
Emma’s Dad
Redmond resident
Little Bit Board of Trustees Member