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Horses Healing Hearts and “The Blind Side” Actor Quinton Aaron Partner to End Bullying

Horses Healing Hearts (HHH), a leading preventative education and equine assisted therapy program for children living with alcoholism and addiction, has partnered with the Quinton Aaron foundation to bring an Anti-Bullying campaign to Palm Beach County.

In preparation for their campaign, the HHH team joined the award-winning actor in a meeting with Bob Margolis, Mayor of the Village of Wellington as well as other officials. The group also toured host schools and event facilities for the ‘Cowboy Up for a Cause’ fundraising event, which is slated for Saturday, November 14, 2015, at the Van Kampen Arena in Wellington.

The ‘Cowboy Up for a Cause’ event will feature a Rodeo-themed day full of family fun for children of all ages including mechanical bull riding, dunk tank, roping games and rodeo riding exhibitions. Disney characters and unique animals including a rare white camel will make an appearance at the event where children will be encouraged to have a hands-on, authentic Cowboy experience.

Based on his visit to the Village and his discussions with officials, Quinton Aaron was enthusiastic about the burgeoning relationship, stating, “I have been to many cities and never have I been as impressed with the show of support and overwhelming welcome as I had in Palm Beach County. The District’s commitment to their youth is outstanding and I am honored to be working together. We enjoy working with counties that are pro-active in implementing solutions for the serious issues facing their students.”

As part of the weekend’s events the collaborative team and event sponsors will host a “meet and greet” with Quinton Aaron on Friday, November 13, 2015. Those attending will have an opportunity to meet Quinton Aaron and learn more about how they can support children of alcoholics and addicts and the joint anti-bullying initiative in Palm Beach County. Tickets will be $100 per person and $150 per couple. Detailed event information, ticket and sponsorship information will be available at www.HHHUSA.org by September 1.

“We are very excited to partner with the Quinton Aaron Foundation for what we hope becomes an annual event in Palm Beach County,” said Liz Olszewski, Horses Healing Hearts Founder and Executive Director. “Quinton’s ‘Blind Side’ character, ‘Big Mike’ experienced bullying and homelessness in addition to suffering the dramatic effects of growing up in a home with addiction. We want to raise awareness of these issues, and underscore the importance and impact of the solution–teaching our youth positive life skills so that they can have a better future.”

About the Quinton Aaron Foundation
The Quinton Aaron Foundation’s mission is to provide hope, encouragement, confidence and resources to children on the brink of suicide or battling the damaging effects on self-esteem and confidence caused by the actions or words of others.

Bullying has become a World-Wide epidemic. The effects are far-reaching and long-term. But the great news is we can do something about it. Quinton shares his personally motivating story about his experiences. He knows first-hand the struggles of obesity and bullying. By accepting the issue as one of community concern, not just the individual, we create an environment of support, the encouragement to make a difference and inspire a change in the minds and hearts of all.

In addition to anti-bullying campaigns, we are working toward providing homes for kids that age out of foster care. This is an incredible strain on these kids and our goal is to make sure every child has a bed to sleep in. For more information about the Quinton Aaron Foundation, please visit http://www.quintonaaron.org.

About Horses Healing Hearts
Horse Healing Hearts is a unique preventative education and equine assisted therapy program for children living with alcoholism and addiction. We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that serves children each week from more than 50 families in Palm Beach County. Since 2009, HHH has completed more than 900 sessions through 1,800 contact hours with children of alcoholics and addicts age 6-18 who meet weekly for two hour prevention education sessions that consist of peer-to-peer counseling overseen by a certified Prevention / Mental Health Specialist. Our curriculum is “A Children’s Program Kit” a SAMHSA product written and disseminated by NACoA (National Association for Children of Alcoholics and the US Department of Health and Human Services.) For more information please visit www.hhhusa.org.

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