Driving down 50 West in Aldie, among all of the newly built homes, stands a lonesome horse mailbox. As you drive down the driveway, you encounter a bucolic scene – 27 acres of large, green paddocks occupied by horses of all shapes and colors. Some ponies, Haflingers, thoroughbred crossbreeds, Fjords and more and one wonders if they've stumbled upon utopia.

By now, you've entered the ten-stall barn and your life as you know it has been forever changed…..whether or not you have realized that yet. Therapeutic riding instructors direct the students through a course of poles, help students mount their horse and provide soft encouraging words for the student who may find loud noises unbearable. Not all disabilities are visually perceptible and Sprout is a place that provides the hope, the healing and the recovery for those seeking it.

Volunteers buzz around the barn doing various tasks. They lend a hand with a student trying to clip their helmet strap closed, they support a heel while in the saddle or work together to muck a stall. Sprout is a program that makes the impossible possible.

Originally a soybean farm, Brooke Waldron, Founder and Executive Director, started the therapy program with two horses, one instructor (herself) and eight students. Today, Sprout celebrates its seventh year of service and serves 125 students weekly with volunteers who selflessly give over 6,000 hours of service yearly.

The student ages range from a two-year-old diagnosed within the Autism spectrum to a thirty-year-old survivor of a traumatic brain injury to a sixty-year-old old with advancing physical and mental deterioration. What they all share is the support they receive from Sprout physically, mentally, socially and emotionally.

At Sprout, the horses are the embodiment of hope, the fulfillment of dreams and the opportunity for freedom in an otherwise confined world of disability.

They are the great mediators between where people are and where they want to go. They have a unique gift to transform despair into joy, confinement into ability and isolation into community. The horses bond with people in ways that change their lives forever.

Caring for 15+ horses on a 27-acre facility with a professional staff who are leaders in the field of therapeutic riding is costly. Sprout relies heavily on volunteer manpower and in-kind donations to keep operating costs low. Even with this support though, Sprout must subsidize 50-70% of the cost of every rider's participation - and this cost is met through generous contributions from our community.

Sprout hosts multiple fundraisers throughout the year. "Sipping for Sprout", a family fun day/wine tasting event, the Sprout 5k, "Sprout on The Green", a golf tournament and the annual gala, the largest fundraising event of the year. Last year, the gala had over 175 guests in attendance and raised over $150,000 for the program!

On Saturday, September 29, 2018, Sprout will host its third annual black-tie gala fundraiser, "Lucky 7 Gala." In honor of celebrating Sprout's seventh year of service, the event will take place at the farm and will feature all of the classic casino games - roulette, blackjack, poker, even craps! In addition, there will be a bunch of fun little "surprise" games for those who may not feel as comfortable stepping up to the tables, all which will be dealt by professional dealers on true commercial level casino equipment!

In addition to the gaming, there will be multiple auctions in exciting, interactive formats, incredible raffles and extravagant prizes including luxury trips and one-of-a-kind experiences. All of this with an outrageous farm-to-table meal provided by RSVP Catering of Fairfax, VA, an open bar all night, a live DJ and most importantly this all supports a cause anyone can feel great about supporting! This event is NOT to be missed! A few select sponsorship opportunities are still available but they're going quickly! To purchase tickets for the Lucky 7 event, visit www.sproutlucky7.eventbrite.com. Interested in sponsoring or donating to the event, please email sproutgala2018@outlook.com.

To learn more about Sprout, visit www.sproutcenter.org. If you'd like to volunteer and support in other ways, please email volunteer@sproutcenter.org. You can visit Sprout at 40685 John Mosby Highway, Aldie, VA 20105.