SRU hosting virtual Sunset Serenade fundraising event Sept. 24

Slippery Rock University’s Storm Harbor Equestrian Center will host its annual Sunset Serenade fundraising on YouTube Live at 7 p.m., Sept. 24.

Sept. 18, 2020

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Sunset Serenade, the annual fundraising event that supports Slippery Rock University's Storm Harbor Equestrian Center, will saddle up virtually this year. To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and adhere to the CDC's guidance on large gatherings, Sunset Serenade will occur on YouTube Live at 7 p.m., Sept. 24, as the online event will include a video presentation and opportunities for participants to bid on silent auction items.

"Even though we can't host an in-person event like we have the previous 13 years, it's important that we continue to present Sunset Serenade in order to sustain our facility and the programs that we offer," said Courtney Gramlich, manager of the Storm Harbor Equestrian Center. "Since we had to close in March because of the pandemic, we lost some of our revenue. Events like this ensure our future and the livelihoods of the people we serve."

Storm Harbor provides equine-assisted activities and equine-assisted therapies for children and adults with disabilities for people from more than six counties. Before the pandemic, the facility was hosting more than 150 riders per week and only recently has it resumed operations with programming in conjunction with academic classes.

More than 400 people attend Sunset Serenade each year, raising more than $150,000 per event. Funds benefit the Storm Harbor endowment, which has grown to $1.4 million as it progresses toward the organizers' goal of $2 million.

The video presentation will feature testimonials from riders who benefit from the programs, as well as a look at the center, which underwent a $1 million expansion project in 2019, along with the 17 horses that call the center home.

Event attendees will learn how they can bid on silent auction items that range from vacation condominium stays in Florida and South Carolina to handcrafted wood furniture, kayaks and a specialty five-gallon batch of spirits from MLH Distillery in Grove City.

Registration for Sunset Serenade is free. To learn more and sign up to attend the event, visit the SRU Foundation, Inc. website.

MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854 | justin.zackal@sru.edu