JESSAMINE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Horse lovers across Kentucky can spread Valentine's Day joy while supporting a meaningful cause through Visit Horse Country's third annual carrot gram fundraiser.
The program allows fans to send $2 carrot grams or rose grams to their favorite horses at participating farms throughout the Bluegrass region. All proceeds benefit Stable Recovery, a transitional living program that helps men and women in early recovery from alcohol and drug addiction.
"It's a chance to send a carrot gram or a rose gram to one of your favorite horses or just a horse here in horse country," said Hallie Hardy, executive director of Horse Country.
Stable Recovery provides housing and hands-on job training with horses for people rebuilding their lives after addiction.
"Stable Recovery is a long-term, transitional living program for men and women early in recovery from alcohol and/or drugs. We emphasize equine training and equine employment," said Christian Countzle, CEO of Stable Recovery.
This year's fundraiser features traditional carrot grams alongside new rose grams designed specifically for Kentucky Derby winners. Hardy explained the symbolism behind both options.
"A carrot is a horse's favorite treat. We got a lot of different options, you know, we got peppermints, apples, all the rest. We love the carrot because it's healthy too, right? We got to be conscious of that. I'm just kidding. But the Rose Gram this year we added for our Kentucky Derby winners. So of course the rose is an iconic part of Valentine's Day and also an iconic part of the first Saturday in May here in Kentucky," Hardy said.
The program has already produced remarkable success stories. Josh Franks, one of Stable Recovery's first graduates, now manages 200 horses as a division manager at Taylor Made Farm.
"He was one of the first legacy graduates of Stable Recovery. He's now a division manager out here at Taylor Made farm. He manages 200 horses. He had never touched a horse before he came to Stable Recovery, and now he's a manager at the largest consigner of thoroughbreds in the world," Countzle said.
Hardy emphasized the dual purpose behind the Valentine's fundraiser.
"While we're very focused on the horse here, we wanted to connect that with an incredible cause here in Central Kentucky as well," Hardy said.
The carrot gram program demonstrates how Kentucky's horse industry continues to give back to the community while celebrating the animals that make the Bluegrass region famous.
Sales run February 13 through 16, and you can find the link here.
