Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Nineteen years after Tammy Stackhouse started The Magical Meadows with her first therapeutic horseback rider, Corey, she introduced him Thursday to the participants of the “Rockathon” fundraiser.
Now in his 30s, their connection is still evident as they talked and joked with one another.
Their own connections to Stackhouse and The Magical Meadows is why the 10 volunteers rocking in rocking chairs Thursday were willing to spend up to 12 hours of their time to raise $10,000 each for The Magical Meadows.
“My connection goes way back,” said Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith, who met his $10,000 goal fairly quickly but stuck around long afterward. “I met Tammy Stackhouse many, many years ago when my kids were getting into 4-H. I was looking for a livestock trailer and she just happened to have one, and that was years ago. That’s how I originally met her.”
Shortly thereafter, he said she began The Magical Meadows, 3386 E. CR 525N, Warsaw, and Smith and his family followed along and helped where they could.
“I’ve been a part of some of their different fundraisers throughout the years, and when I heard that they were focusing on this mission as it relates to veterans and first responders, I certainly couldn’t say no as anyone that knows me knows that mental health is super important to me. Being a veteran myself, I worry about the mental health of our employees. We’re a big department. That’s a worry in my position that I concern myself with a lot. So this is just another great resource that is there at our disposal,” Smith explained.
As of 3:49 p.m. Thursday, Magical Meadows Executive Director Michael Kuhn said four of the volunteers had raised their $10,000 goal, but were still participating because they wanted to see the overall goal of $100,000 reached. Along with Smith, those reaching their goal early on were Warsaw Police Department Capt. Paul Heaton, Carl Adams and Keith Reinholt.
All funds raised will go toward building an East barn, a dedicated riding arena for veterans and first responders.
“As part of our Growing With Heart capital campaign, we’re building two new indoor riding arenas and the one that we are raising money toward today is the one on the east side of the property and that will be dedicated specifically for veterans and first responders to have a year-round space for whenever they need it,” Kuhn said.
Everyone in Thursday’s “Rockathon” volunteered.
“We reached out to a few of them who had some sort of connection to us in one way or another, and they were all very, very generous to give their time and to tap into their networks of people and friends and family to really just pull together a ton of money,” he said. “We’re already close to $65,000 now, just about four hours in. So, we’re in really good shape and pushing forward to hit that $100,000.”
Stackhouse said Thursday’s “Rockathon” was kind of an old-fashioned type of fundraiser.
“We used to do these kind of things years ago. So Cowboy Carl and I were talking one afternoon trying to come up with some ideas, of course, some unique opportunities, and so we talked about it, presented it with Michael and got Matt involved and everybody got really excited,” she said. “As we reached out to the team that got here - all 10 of everybody - they were excited and wanted to participate, so it’s been a lot of fun.”
She said everyone has been sitting around, talking and laughing while raising a lot of money for The Magical Meadows. “And that is amazing.”
Heaton said his connection was his daughter, who started volunteering to help out at The Magical Meadows over the summer. She’s doing an internship through Lakeland Christian for her senior year.
“It’s been a real joy to see how happy she is out here, working and volunteering, and that’s kind of my connection to this place,” he said.
On being the first first-responder to reach his goal, Heaton said, “Thanks to everybody that helped out. We’re going to continue to push to get everyone there.”
Melissa Lewis not only volunteered to “rock” Thursday, but she also volunteers at The Magical Meadows.
“I volunteer out here. I came out here to be a part of the veterans barn raise. The veterans group is what really drug me out here because I volunteer also at work with the (Veterans Resource Group), and so when they put a flyer up on our newsletter, I saw that they needed help and that’s what kind of drug me out here and I haven’t left since,” she stated.
She said she loves The Magical Meadows, loves seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces and loves connecting with the horses.
“I spend a lot of my time with the veterans group horses - grooming them, walking with the kids, spending time with the kids,” Lewis said. “... Once you come out here and you see this place, and you spend time out here, you see what great cause this place is and you see all of the love, and the friendship and the camaraderie that we have out here. It impacts your heart so, so much.”
Reinholt agreed with her.
“I also volunteer here and I also serve on the board, and I have thoroughly enjoyed being here and being a part of this and just seeing the magic that actually does happen here. It just has a way of sucking you in being here,” he stated.
Prosecuting Attorney Brad Voelz said he’s appreciated the work Magical Meadows has done ever since they started and he loves the work that they’ve done, especially with special needs children.
“My particular interest now, at this point as the prosecutor, is that they’re expanding their services to first responders, veterans and we’re also working with Tammy and the crew to have services for child crime victims,” Voelz said. “And, so, I’ve developed more of a passion for The Magical Meadows than I have before. So happy to be here helping out today.”
Thursday was the first time Turkey Creek Fire Territory Chief Mickey Scott had ever been to The Magical Meadows and he was asked to participate.
“I just knew what it was for and what their project is and what they do, so that’s the reason I agreed to do this,” he said. “Mental health and awareness for first responders is huge, so that’s all I can say. I’m here to support that.”
Carla Quintero, Lutheran EMS, Pierceton Fire Department and military veteran, said her daughter used to ride at Magical Meadows. For a while they also did the veteran program.
“The therapy they offer here with their horses is instrumental, I think. You can come out here, you can just literally bond with the horse and you don’t have to interact with anybody else if you don’t want to, or you can be a part of the entire group of staff out here, who are all fantastic,” she said.
It’s not too late to give to either the organization for general funds for operations through the website at themagicalmeadows.org/donate; or specifically to the capital campaign at themagicalmeadows.org/growingwithheart, according to Kuhn.
“We’re really excited to be able to do this for our veterans and our first responders in our community. They’ve given so much to serve us, serve our country, serve our community so it’s an honor for us to return that favor and provide our Warriors Mount Up program, and we’re so excited to give them their own dedicated space,” Kuhn stated.
