WILL LEAD “HELP A HORSE HELP A HUMAN” FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
DERBY DAY SLATED FOR MAY 6TH
Applause Levin, who resides at the Amity Foundation for Healing with Horses, has been lured out of semi-retirement and back into a white shirt and tie to head up the Foundation’s “Help a Horse Help a Human” fundraising campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise a significant amount of money so that Applause and his fellow horses can continue to help people who have experienced trauma recognize its debilitating effects and address those effects in a safe, supportive environment.
Derby Day is slated for May 6th from 4 PM to 8 PM and will kick off this year’s fundraising activities. In addition to viewing the race on a big screen, there will an opportunity to purchase “Eat like a Horse” on an assortment of grazable foods and refreshments…Mint Julep “Mocktails” and cocktails, a silent auction, tours of the facility, and more. It all happens at the facility at 44 Amity Road in Warwick.
The Foundation has already hosted workshops for veterans as well as veterans and their spouses, adolescents with self esteem issues and more. A workshop for the homeless is slated for the end of March.
Applause was elected to head the fundraising efforts by an overwhelming majority—not a single neigh-vote was cast. “Our humans are giving this Foundation their all. It’s our turn to give their efforts extra horsepower,” commented Applause. “We understand that horses can be high-maintenance,” he added. “We also understand the value of what we have to offer.”
Applause personally has worked with people ranging from veterans with PTSD to first responders to teenagers who have been bullied or sexually assaulted. The horses are not necessarily ridden in the various workshops that Amity provides. Instead, they are observed. Known around the barn as the “People Whisperer,” Applause is respected for his non-verbal communication skills. His reassuring presence alone can speak volumes to humans who may not have the words to describe an event or events that occurred in the past but continue to cloud the present and future.
Licensed equine therapist Corey DeMala, who co-founded the Foundation with Equine Specialist Christine Swanson Dykshorn, conducts the workshops and assists participants as they work through their issues in an environment that can be helpful as well as simply fun. “We strive to provide services at no-cost or on a sliding scale according to each participant’s ability to pay,” she says.
This is not the first time that Applause has stepped into the limelight for a worthy cause. He has appeared in several segments of Madame Secretary and has donated his acting fee to local animal shelters and organizations.