THUNDER BAY — After 14-year-old Keira Rooney was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive bone cancer Towline Equestrian Centre stepped up to help the young girl and her family.
Townline Equestrian Centre is inviting and encouraging families and groups of all ages to get out to the centre, 5307 Townline Road, on March 30 from 12 to 4 p.m. to join the community in supporting Keira and her mother in their battle.
“Keira and her mother are now at Sick Children's Hospital in Toronto for the next eight or nine months.
“We feel that hopefully we can raise some funds to take some of that pressure of finances off her plate, so they can concentrate on Keira getting better and healing,” said Julie Grgurich, owner of Townline Equestrian Centre.
The centre does goat yoga, and Keira’s mother, Kelly, is a yoga instructor, Grgurich said.
“We were just about to start doing some work with her, and then we find out that this happened. Several of my friends had reached out to me and said, ‘we know her really well, this is tragic.’”
Grgurich said her friends have told her about Keira, and when she was asked to help fund-raise, she said absolutely.
“That's why we built our centre and opened it to the public, is to do things as much as we can for our community. So here we are.”
It’s important for the community to come together and support one another, Grgurich said.
“Most of us have children or know somebody that has children. Cancer is so close to our hearts here. I just think that we've got to help families one at a time.
“Here is our first one. Every time we can all get together collectively and help one, then we move on to the next one,” Grgurich said.
The fundraiser on March 30 will have many things going on.
“We are going to have a small goat yoga session that's separate, people can prepay for their spot during the time our farm is open.
“We're going to have farm tours, we're going to have games and there are tons of raffle prizes, really beautiful, fun prizes that have been donated by our community,” she said.
In the afternoon after the yoga session, there will be pony rides available as well.
“It’s just going to be a super fun afternoon for family, people of all ages just to come out, visit our farm and support this in any way they possibly can.”
Gate admission will be $10, pony rides will be $5, and advanced prepaid tickets for goat yoga are $30, which include admission.
“We have everything from miniature horses to alpacas, to miniature goats. We have full size horses here, miniature cows, we have chickens, turkeys and ducks.
“Most of our animals interact with people, so it's a very fun place to visit,” Grgurich said.
Townline Equestrian Centre will also be taking donations that will go straight to the family, and if any local businesses or people who cannot attend wish to donate, contact the centre by email.
On May 9, there will be live performances at 201 Syndicate Ave. S. in support of Keira.
The family has set up a GoFundMe, for more information visit this link.
For more information about this specific fundraiser, visit the Facebook page.
