On a gorgeous day in October, we held the Giant Steps 6th Annual Charity Golf Tournament at Sonoma Golf Club. While many of our traditional elements remained – such as being greeted by a Giant Steps horse at registration – we switched up some of the elements, with new competitions and more. This year’s tournament was also a special one because this is our 20th anniversary year. As a result, a number of riders and their families joined the reception following the tournament to celebrate all that we have accomplished in our first 20 years. It was thrilling to have so many faces from over the years in one room.
The reception included a live auction and fund-a-need, in support of our adult programming. As our program continues, we have an increasing number of youth riders who transition to being adult riders. During the event, the story of one such rider, Chantal, was shared by her cousin. Chantal was born prematurely, and lives with no vision and very limited hearing. At first pass, putting Chantal on a horse might seem like a ridiculous idea. But, in fact, riding has been tremendously empowering to Chantal, and it brings her incredible joy. In addition to developing physical strength through riding, Chantal has become more relaxed, and is showing more and more of her sense of humor. Years later, Chantal’s mom can still be easily brought to tears when talking about the impact Giant Steps has had.
We send thanks to: our tournament sponsors San Francisco Police Officers Association, Paragon Controls Inc., Burleson & Company, Johnston Thomas Attorneys at Law, Pisenti & Brinker LLP, Mercedes Benz of Marin, Don Ramatici Insurance, Loch & Union Distilling, Park 121, Tamber Bey Vineyards, and West County Net, to Sonoma Golf Club for making it such an easy event to plan, and to the many wonderful people who joined in support of our efforts!
