The Story

Yesterday, I was walking through Washington Square Park when I noticed a small boy and his mother selling cowboy supplies.  "We're saving up for a horse," they told me.  

The boy's name was Rumi.  After speaking with Rumi's mother, I learned that Rumi has loved horses his entire life.  He has horse themed shirts, toys, and backpacks.  All those things are great.  But Rumi's biggest dream is to own a horse.  "You can get one for $1000!" he told me.  After a full afternoon of selling cowboy supplies.  He'd raised $1.  He seemed a little downtrodden by the afternoon's results, but commited to his ultimate goal.

That night, I jumped on the phone with a couple of horse experts-- not Rumi's parents-- who have special expertise regarding kids who want horses.  These horse experts-- not Rumi's parents-- told me that having a horse is super expensive.  It's just about impossible for normal parents, especially ones who live in a small NYC apartment, and who aren't wealthy, to provide a horse for their child.  Sometimes this can be quite heartbreaking.

So I thought of a plan.

The Plan

Let's send Rumi on a horse-filled, whip-cracking, high-falootin', Wild West adventure.  For $7,000, we can send Rumi and his parents on an all-expenses-paid trip to Drowsy Water Ranch, 90 miles outside of Denver.  (This includes airfare, transportation, lodging, all meals, and a variety of activities).  Drowsy Water is consistently ranked as one of the nation's top ranches for families.  Actual picture from the ranch:

Last night I called Drowsy Water to inquire about availability.  They only had one room left for the entire summer season-- for the week of August 25th-- and it was perfectly sized for a family of three.  I asked them to hold it for me.  I asked what a six-year-old, like Rumi, could expect from a week at Drowsy Water.  "Six is the perfect age to be here," they told me.  "It's the age where you qualify to have your own horse for the entire week."

The Buckaroo

I talked with Rumi's parents for a good while last night.  We all agreed-- Rumi is an amazing, highly-deserving kid.  After hearing Rumi's story, I agreed with his mother: "This is a very good time for something good to happen to Rumi."   So let's send Rumi on a Wild West Adventure!

All amounts raised beyond those needed to cover receipts of the trip will be donated to Equestria-- a New York based organization dedicated to providing riding lessons to children with disabilities.  This organization does tons of good, and holds a special place in the hearts of Rumi and his parents.