Last year, I got an email from Sierra Place Senior Living, an assisted living facility for seniors in Carson City. They asked if I would come give a ride talk to their residents. Of course I said yes! And a few months later I did go talk to the folks there. I shared with them some of my best stories and photos from the trail and they were just enthralled! I loved spending the afternoon with them and appreciated their enthusiasm. I thought that would be the end of it, but boy was I wrong! A few days later,  Sierra Place emailed me again - this time to tell me that the residents couldn't stop talking about the stories I had shared with them! It seems our adventure really resonated with them. The managers asked if they could somehow be a sponsor for the next ride so the residents could be a part of the adventure too - and again, of course I said yes. Now, Sierra Place is organizing an amazing event to help fundraise for the next ride!

On Tuesday, May 3 from 2pm-4pm, Sierra Place will host "Along for the Ride" - a fundraiser for the Nevada Discovery Ride. Sierra Place will donate the first $500 for the ride! I am so incredibly humbled and honored. That money is going to go toward the cost of feed for Sage during the ride. But, during the event a cowboy hat will be passed for additional donations. The funds raised will help cover the cost of the support vehicle fuel and additional supplies still needed. Sage, Bella, and I will all be at the event to meet with people and answer questions about the upcoming ride. There will also be gold-panning demonstrations, a display of Nevada birds from the Galena Nature Center, and rancher, Lisa Luxembury, will talk about the history of ranching in Nevada and give roping demonstrations. Dennis Richardson, local bluegrass musician, will set the tone with old-timey tunes, and samples of “cowboy cuisine” will be served. Sounds great doesn't it?! What a wonderful gesture from an unlikely sponsor. Thank you so much to Sierra Place for their support. I continue to be amazed by the sense of community here in Nevada. 

The Nevada Discovery Ride continues to take on a life of its on and more and more people hear about my upcoming ride. It's been a very busy month of riding, getting gear, tweaking the route, and meeting with new sponsors. Speaking of those new sponsors...
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• TravelNevada is the marketing branch of the Nevada Division of Tourism. Their goal is to promote Nevada and I am so excited to help them shine a light on some of the state's hidden gems throughout the ride. Their slogan for the state is "Don't Fence Me In" -- and that couldn't be better illustrated than with a long ride!  
• Some of you may know that I work for Washoe County. I am grateful to have their support as an employer and a sponsor. Not only did they approve my time off for the ride but they also want to help promote the ride. Talk about a supportive place to work!  
• This Is Reno is the area's best online news and events source, and it's completely independently run! I'll be calling them exclusively from the trail (when I have service) to give them updates from the trail which they will share with their readers.

It's so great to have so many fabulous sponsors this ride. With their help, we'll be able to get the word out about wild horse adoption to an even larger audience. In fact, I just recorded a podcast interview with This Is Reno -- give it a listen below!

In logistical news, ride planning is going great! I've scheduled a few more scouting trips for this spring and summer so I can put the finishing touches on the route. I've been picking up more gear along the way too so we'll be all ready to go come August. Only a few things remain on the to-do list. One of the biggest things is to start planning the meals! I'm a big believer that your food will make or break a long ride. haha Sage and I will spend the next four months riding and camping as much as possible. We're also scheduled to make some public appearances. Check the homepage of this website for our upcoming events. Stay tuned -- August will be here before we know it and the adventure will begin!