Benefit concert set for Friday to help Champ’s Heart

SHELLEY, Idaho (KIFI) - Champ's Heart is an organization that provides free healing horse encounters to kids with special needs and veterans with PTSD.

Rosie is one of about 65 children with various disabilities who love to escape their challenges through healing horse encounters at Champ’s Heart.

"I like to go to Champ's Heart because I like the horses. They are soft," Rosie said.

In 2019, Rosie was in a car accident that resulted in a strep infection that caused sepsis and she nearly died.

Her mother said, "So with sepsis blood stops flowing to the hands and leg arms, they had to cut them off so her body could heal." 

Finding activities to do as a family became a challenge.

"When we found Champ's Heart it was something she could do with the whole family. It just made her so happy and just to see her smile every day to know that she could do the same things we were doing was just life-changing, Rosie's mom said. 

Larry Cudmore is the founder of Champ’s Heart. The idea was formed a couple of years ago when he saw the healing impact horses could have.

"I started this about two and a half years ago when I was still a pastor at the church, with a little girl at the church that had some disabilities and I had a horse by the name of Champ," Cudmore said.

Word spread, the program grew and moved from one rented location to another. What’s needed now are funds for an indoor arena to house the horses and offer shelter to the riders in the winter and the rest of the year.

It's too windy or too rainy or the temperature is not right then I have to cancel

Friday night, July 23, a benefit concert will take place to help Champ's Heart pay expenses.

The Lyle Albertson's Straight Country Dance Band will play at the North Bingham County Historical Park in Shelley. 

For tickets, you can go to Champs Heart on Facebook.

 To learn more about their program, visit their website at https://www.champsheart.org/