Deacons Donate to Two More Charities During May Club Meeting

HOUSTON (May 13) -- The Deacons of Deadwood Motorcycle Club made two big check presentations totaling $5,000 at their May meeting, donating much-needed funds to both Hoof Prints and Heart Beats and Smiles Gone Wild, two Deacon-approved charities from the greater Houston area."This contribution from the Deacons of Deadwood means so much to us," said Tracey Carlson of Hoof Prints and Heart Beats. "Our ranch is in Needville, just 45 minutes south of Houston, and our mission there is to help children with special needs. We deal with everything from autism to domestic abuse, and we use horses as part of our therapy. We work on both physical and emotional issues, and we know from experience that horses have this amazing healing energy. It's incredible to witness."We are 100 percent volunteer and always provide our services free of charge. No one here is making a salary of any kind. What we do, we do out of love, and many times we're paying for it out of our own pockets, so a donation like this goes a long way. We are so proud and honored to be associated with the Deacons, a truly incredible group of men that really care about kids."Hoof Prints & Heart Beats provides rehabilitation and therapeutic riding for physically challenged individuals; people suffering from social disorders like autism, ADD, ADHD, Asperger's syndrome, and eating disorders as well as equine-enhanced counseling for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); and trauma and addiction recovery.Deacon charity committee member Steve Abney said seeing this special type of therapy in person was an eye-opening experience."When an animal the size of a horse approaches a young person that may be in a wheelchair or struggling with some other issue, it seems like it would be intimidating," Abney said, "but these incredible horses appear to have the ability to sense they are dealing with a special situation and they are so docile. It's a real credit to the volunteers at Hoof Prints and Heart Beats, and after watching them in person I was overwhelmed with the work they are doing. We are very proud to lend a helping hand."Next up was world-renowned plastic, cosmetic, and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Joe Agris, the head of Smiles Gone Wild, a charity started years ago by Agris and TV reporter Marvin Zindler (deceased) that worked to help children with cleft palates. Now they strive to help disadvantaged young people with a variety of facial birth defects."We mainly help children in Houston and Harris County, but we have brought in kids from across the state and even around the world," Dr. Agris said. "We never charge for anything. Of course, there are some expenses involved for treatment and medicines, so we rely heavily on donations like this one from the Deacons of Deadwood, and I'm very proud to say that 98 percent of everything we receive goes directly to the kids."I want to sincerely thank the Deacons for what they've done to help us, and all you need to see is the smile of one child we've been able to help, then look at the before pictures, and you'll see how life-changing this work is for these kids. Thank you, Deacons; you guys truly are the best our city has to offer."The work of Smiles Gone Wild was brought to the club's attention by longtime member David "Elvis" Wright.