For over 30 years, Misty Meadows Mitey Riders, located on the Misty Meadows farm in Weddington, have been changing lives through the power of horses. Founded in 1994 by Harry and Marilyn Swimmer, the therapeutic Horse Riding charity supports children with special needs, helping them develop confidence, skills and independence through equestrian activities. For three decades, the charity has supported and empowered thousands of kids to be able to expand their abilities.

Here on Charlotte Latin’s campus, student volunteers have met monthly to brainstorm projects, plan service work, and help support the Mitey Riders community. For many years, the initiative of Latin’s Mitey Riders Service Club has been to help out at their spring fair, which Mr Harris dubbed the Hawks and Horses service event. Last year, students created drawings in which they watercolored and then distributed the drawings of the therapy horses to the children, who were overwhelmed with joy, due to the artistic likeness of the drawings to the horses that they love and have built a special, healing relationship with.

In 2024, the service group partnered with Dr. Wilma Downing’s medical practice and graphic designer and CLS Alumni Clayton Sealey ’20, the Mint Museum’s Senior Director of Marketing and Communications with talent for graphic design, to create a flyer to spread the news about this therapeutic program for Dr. Downing’s patients in the larger Charlotte community. The club continues to thrive thanks to dedicated student leaders Jade Backerman ’27 and Elizabeth Wolff ’27, as well as thanks to the sponsorship and leadership given by Mr Harris. Mr Harris started helping Latin students volunteer for the program in 2020, since his volunteering and service in the program had previously been such an inspiring experience. When thinking of his favorite times with the club, Harris recalled a moment watching his advisee and former leader of our service club, Meghan DuPuy ’24, volunteering as a sidewalker with a rider whose grandma he met while watching the lesson. The proud grandma told Mr. Harris that her son is able to walk now because of this program.

In this year’s opening meeting, the students were reintroduced to the mission of the Mitey Riders program, and were tasked with a brand new project, designing and crafting wearable Halloween-themed items, from pumpkins to black cats and spooky hats, for therapy riders to enjoy during their ride. Following the meeting, the items were delivered to the farm and Pam Perez, volunteer coordinator at Misty Meadows Mitey Riders, said that the Halloween class has become “one of the favorites” and that riders celebrated by decorating the horses with ornaments.

When talking about the program, Jody G. Swimmer, PT, DPT, MAT, Charlotte Latin Graduate in the class of 1977, daughter of Harry Swimmer, the founder of Misty Meadows Mitey Riders, said that “The Swimmer Family would like to express our deepest gratitude to The Charlotte Latin family for its support to the Misty Meadows Mitey Riders Therapeutic Riding Program. Without our treasured volunteers, the program would not be able to provide the riding program to the community.”

Through the continued partnership with Mitey Riders, Charlotte Latin students are able to give and see what massive impact their work has on the charity, and on the riders. Whether it’s spreading awareness about the program in our community, designing crafts for the riders, lending a hand at events, or volunteering as sidewalkers and lead walkers or on barn patrol, each contribution only strengthens the connection between the Latin and Mitey Riders communities. As the club looks towards another year of excellent service, the commitment to making a difference in the community will always be the same.