The Texas Stars Foundation will donate $46,000 among 11 Austin-area charitable groups to cap off the group's first full year of fundraising efforts, the foundation announced Sept. 13.
The inaugural class of grant recipients are all based in Central Texas, and all money goes toward various programs and projects that benefit more than 20,000 area children, according to a news release issued by the foundation.
Chairman Rick McLaughlin said previously that the foundation is the way for the hockey organization to become more involved in the community.
"We are thrilled to be establishing this annual grant program to expand our support of organizations in the Central Texas region," he said in the release. "All of these worthy recipients are deeply rooted in providing outstanding services to our local community."
Donna Roland, Open My World Therapeutic Riding Center founder and director, said her Leander-based organization received $5,000 from the foundation. The money will go toward an automated hot walker to help maintain the health and well-being of the horses ridden by special needs children at the center, she said.
"In our application, I just related to them how our horses are like their athletes and how they know the importance of being fit and staying in optimum physical shape," Roland said, explaining how many of her horses are in their mid- to late 20s and have various arthritic conditions.
Two Texas Stars players visited the riding center last year and stayed two-and-a-half hours, she said, despite only being scheduled to visit for one hour.
"They worked directly with the students," Roland said. "They were really surprised, I think. I don't think they were aware of just what we do before they got out here."
Grant money will go to various other programs, including one geared toward building an organic garden to help teach children in foster care and shelters how to more self-sufficient, creating the first special needs athletic field—Ability Field—in Williamson County, and building a program to teach science to special needs children.
The Texas Stars Foundation has been in existence since 2010.
This year's grant recipients include:
Autism Society of Greater Austin: $2,200
Central Texas Ability Sports: $10,000
Friends of the Georgetown Public Library: $500
Helping Hands Home for Children: $2,000
Hope Alliance: $8,000 (80 percent of request granted)
Open My World Therapeutic Riding Center: $5,000
Reveal Resource Center/Hill Country Nazarene Church: $5,000
Round Rock Public Library: $350
Sammy's House: $8,376
STARRY Inc.: $3,000
Young Women and Men of Destiny: $2,000