Fiberglass horses to help raise funds for NAM
By ANN PARKS
CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT
On June 23, Northwest Houston will be stampeded by a herd of fiberglass horses to kick off Northwest Assistance Ministries' Saddle Up for NAM" fundraising program. The 14 life-sized horses 10 adults and four foals will be arriving at 3 p.m. at their donated Vintage Park Shopping Center stables," 110 Vintage Park Boulevard.
We're very excited about the Saddle Up for NAM program," said Carole Little, NAM's President and CEO. This is the first year that NAM has done this and we've received enthusiastic response from the community."
After their arrival, the horses will be painted by local artists, who were selected by a panel of judges from a group of artists submitting design entries. The artists will have two to three weeks to complete their works of art, after which the horses will be displayed around the community until they are auctioned off at NAM's annual Jeans & Jewels" gala on Oct. 16.
NAM is a nonprofit, community-based social service agency that is supported by over 50 congregations, 17 Service Partner organizations and more than 160 business Community Partners. NAM has served northwest Harris County for 27 years and affected the lives of more than 148,000 people during its last fiscal year.
Even before the horses have arrived, they've already raised $60,000 in donations. The painted horses are being offered for $3,500 each, complete with stand.
The horses themselves weigh 150 pounds and are about six-by-eight feet in size; the horses mounted on the sand-filled stands weigh about 500 pounds. Corporate sponsors can also special-order an unpainted horse for $10,000, choose an artist based on his work with the painted horses and have their horse custom-painted with corporate logos and other information.
The Jeans & Jewels gala, NAM's largest annual fundraising event, will be held on October 16 at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott. The horses will be auctioned off at the gala.
For more information about entering the art competition or in sponsoring a horse, contact Tanecia Snid at 281-885-4608 or at tsnid@namonline.org.
