BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Neighbors visiting the Broadway Market on Sunday had a chance to see a special four-legged friend while donating to a good cause.
The Erie County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Reserve hosted its biannual “Mounted for Meals” drive. Sheriffs sat on top of their horses in front of the market to collect donations for the Response to Love Center — an organization helping the community have access to basic human needs.
“It’s really grown to the point that we really need help from the community in order to help service the community,” Michael Gilhooly, Assistant Director for the Response to Love Center, said.
The Mounted Reserve Unit has hosted this event for about the past two decades. Wayne Wolf, the unit's captain, said it’s all about the motto “Protect and Serve.”
“Serve means serve mankind — those who are hungry and needy. Coupled with the Response to Love Center, I hope we’re making a difference,” he said. “It’s just a good feeling knowing the money that’s going in the boot … is going to help someone.”
This event is held once around Christmas and again around Easter each year.
“It’s more than just nutrition,” Gilhooly said. “It’s about mental health, if you don’t know where your next meal is coming from or where you’re going to sleep.”
Wolf said Mounted for Meals is about helping to provide these critical resources while creating an opportunity for community bonding.
“Sometimes people don’t want to approach a police officer if they’re on foot or in a vehicle,” he said. “The horse can sometimes break down those barriers.”
The event also gave kids an opportunity to get up close and personal with the horses.
“The look in the children's faces when they see the horse, maybe for the first time, and get to pet the horse and realize how friendly they are [is my favorite part of the day],” Wolf said.
The money raised goes to help make people's lives easier — even if that’s just by providing a bar of soap.
“We provide a lot of the things that are unspoken but people need every day,” Gilhooly said. “We can provide the freshest food in the world, but if you haven’t washed your hands in a month or you can’t do your dishes at home or you can’t keep your children clean…”
The event ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and was filled with plenty of donations and horsing around.
