Swan Valley family fundraiser donates $128,000 to Champs Heart

AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) - A local family ponied up big money for Idaho Falls non-profit Champs Heart.

The Fleming family of Swan Valley donated $128,000, raised through a community fundraiser, to the charity Wednesday afternoon.

Champs Heart is a local volunteer group that provides free horse rides and services to veterans and families of children with special needs.

Founder Larry Cudmore says he was overjoyed when the Flemings reached out.

“We were fortunate enough to have the means to do this, have a nice property where we can hold the party,” said Shane Fleming.  “We just decided that, there's an opportunity to raise some money for some needy people, needy causes. We're just looking for where the funds can have the most positive impact on the community, and we want to keep it in the community.”

“The big thing is it'll help take care of all of our expenses. It's almost a half of a year's budget for us. And so this means all the people can keep coming free,” Cudmore said.

Larry said the cash would help pay for the mortgage on the Champs Heart arena and resources for the horses.

The charity has grown so much in the last few years that it has hired its first full-time employee to handle fund-raising efforts and direct the group.