BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

The Interact Club Visits Morning Glory Ranch

By Madison Belcher, Westbury Christian School, School Buzz Reporter | February 8, 2016

Click the Buzz Me button to receive email notifications when this writer publishes a new article or a new article in this column is published.

Catherine Smith, Amy Curtis, Justin Curtis

(From left) Catherine Smith, Amy Curtis and Justin Curtis clean tack. (Photo: Karen Keese)

On Saturday, Jan. 30, the Interact Club took a trip to Morning Glory Ranch in Waller, Texas, a nonprofit ranch for kids with special needs. The Interact Club consists of high school students at Westbury Christian who have a passion for volunteering and reaching out to those in need. On Saturday, the club participated in a training day, learning the proper technique regarding how to care for the horses. This training day qualifies students to come back to volunteer with kids in the future.

The club arrived with Westbury Christian’s anatomy class and National Honor Society at 8 a.m. and went straight to work. We met with Kim Russell, the founder of Morning Glory Ranch, who shared her passion for horses and the importance of reaching out to others. Afterward, we got a tour of the ranch and took turns leading the horses. The club soon became acquainted with Buddy and Astro, some of the ranch’s friendliest horses.

Junior Lowell Wilson brushes Buddy. (Photo: Karen Keese)

The club was divided into groups to begin work. Some of the duties included: brushing the horses, cleaning tack and creating decorations for the stalls of the horses that will participate in rodeo events with the kids. We even got the opportunity to meet some of the kids we hope to work with on the club’s official volunteer day.

Kelsey Wallace, president of the Interact Club says, “I valued the opportunity of going to Morning Glory Ranch. Seeing firsthand what the horses can do for people made me all the more humbled and honored me to be there. Even though the duties were small, I know that my work and the work of my fellow members were not in vain. We all left the ranch with a sense of gratitude and positive attitudes. I look forward to visiting again.”

Sidnee Wilson, Gabriel Salibi, Tucker Toole, Noah Lack

(From left) Seniors Sidnee Wilson, Gabriel Salibi, Tucker Toole and Noah Lack groom Astro. (Photo by Karen Keese)

The Interact Club’s vice president, Clara Awkwandu, says, “I really enjoyed getting to interact with horses and learning more about them. I look forward to working with special needs kids and taking on more momentous duties at the ranch.

The Interact Club plans to continue working with Morning Glory Ranch and creating more service trips for Westbury Christian students and the community.