Matt Howells, Executive Director of Tara’s Chance (fifth from left), accepts a $2,500 check from the Woman’s Club of Fullerton to fund two 20-foot light poles with automatic timers, providing much-needed illumination and improving safety along a well-used path after dark.

On a beautiful sunny day at Tara’s Chance horse ranch in Fullerton, a previously dark but well-used path was transformed into a safer, brightly lit walkway thanks to a $2,500 donation from the Woman’s Club of Fullerton (WCOF).

The donation funded two 20-foot light poles equipped with lights and automatic timers, providing much-needed illumination for the path after dark. Many of their riders, families, volunteers, and staff arrive during late afternoon and early evening hours, especially in the winter months when daylight fades early. For families already navigating complex physical and emotional needs, arriving at therapy should never involve unnecessary risk.

“The Woman’s Club of Fullerton has been a steadfast partner to Tara’s Chance throughout our growth,” said Matt Howells, Executive Director of Tara’s Chance. “Their continued support, generosity and volunteerism have strengthened our ability to serve children with special needs and make a meaningful, lasting difference in our community.”

Tara’s Chance is a Fullerton-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being of children and young adults with special needs through equine-assisted activities and therapies. Founded in 2012 to serve a young child who had been turned away from other programs due to the severity of her disability, Tara’s Chance now serves nearly 100 riders each week and provides more than 2,500 hours of individualized therapeutic riding annually. Participants range in age from 3 to 72 and represent over 75 diagnoses, including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and other developmental and physical disabilities.

Equine-assisted therapy incorporates horses into therapeutic activities designed to support physical, emotional and cognitive development. Under the guidance of trained professionals, participants may engage in activities such as grooming, leading and therapeutic riding, helping them build confidence, develop trust and improve motor and social skills.

“WCOF has supported Tara’s Chance for many years because we have seen the positive difference this organization makes in the lives of children and families in our community and the future it gives them,” said Renee Wallace, President of the Woman’s Club of Fullerton. “With ongoing support from Ocean Subaru of Fullerton, we look forward to supporting Tara’s Chance, as well as other worthwhile organizations in Fullerton.”

The Woman’s Club of Fullerton is a long-standing community organization committed to making a meaningful impact in Fullerton and the surrounding area through volunteerism, fundraising and partnerships with local nonprofits.