Quantum Leap Farm, Inc., a non-profit organization located in Odessa, Florida was founded in 2000 to serve local adults with mental and physical disabilities. Quantum Leap Farm's mission is to enrich and enhance the lives of handicapped adults by engaging them in a variety of equestrian activities designed to promote and improve physical, mental, and social well being. Quantum Leap was founded also to perform research documenting the many benefits of therapeutic horseback riding.
Incorporated January 19, 2000, Quantum Leap began its service on July 1st and received its tax exempt status from the IRS on July 5th of that year. As the only therapeutic horseback riding program dedicated to adults locally, Quantum Leap’s participant volume has grown and continues to grow steadily. In 2001, our first full year of service, we provided just over 1100 riding sessions to upwards of 80 participants from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties with the help of over 90 volunteers. Last year we served just over 500 individuals with over 5,000 therapeutic sessions, assisted by over 8,000 hours of volunteer support.
QLF participants’ ages range from 16 to 75 years and they are diagnosed with a variety of conditions including: Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, Down Syndrome and other developmental disabilities. Participants are referred to us by word of mouth and by other agencies serving handicapped adults. We have developed relationships with many of these agencies including: the James A. Haley Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Bay Pines Veteran's Hospital, the Family Resources Centers located on MacDill Air Force Base, the University of South Florida’s Aging Research Program, the University of South Florida’s Parkinson’s Support Group, the West Coast Chapter of the American Parkinson’s Disease Association, Morton Plant Hospital’s Stroke Support Group, the MacDonald Training Center, and many others.
As a non-profit 501-(c)-3 organization, we seek program support from a variety of sources. We charge disabled riders $40.00 per riding session. Riding sessions for our handicapped clients generate only enough revenue to cover a small portion of our expenses. It is for this reason that we sponsor and/or participate in numerous fundraisers, apply for grants, negotiate discounts from our vendors, recruit participant sponsors, and solicit contributions from individual and corporate sponsors on an ongoing basis.
We have received support from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, Hillsborough County, Keystone Civic Association, Levi Strauss Company, Publix Supermarkets Charities, Great Art & Frame in Westchase Village, Feather Sound Golf and Country Club, the USAA Foundation Charitable Trust, The Saint Petersburg Times, Odessa Equine Clinic, Nutrena Feeds, Inc., J.C. Saddlery, GATX Capital Corporation, the Community Health Purchasing Alliance, Inc., Digiscribe and many local individual contributors. Additionally, we were chosen as the benefiting charity for the Little Everglades Steeplechase in 2008 and 2009, our annual golf tournament at Feather Sound Golf and Country Club has turned into a major fundraiser for the Farm, and we have partnered for two years with Great Art and Frame in Westchase on an equestrian art festival, the proceeds of which are applied to support participation in Quantum Leap's equine therapy programs.
In 2008 we expanded our services to include At EASE sessions (Equine Assisted Self-Exploration) and EEL (Equine Experiential Learning). Offering these additional therapies allows us to include adults with a wide variety of mental and physical needs and brings us closer to our vision of being a comprehensive equestrian facility for disabled adults.
Quantum Leap Farm’s future plans include expanding our service to military participants and growing our equine assisted therapies: At EASE (Equine Assisted Self Exploration) and EEL (Equine Experiential Learning). Future plans for physical expansion include the construction of a covered arena dedicated to At EASE and EEL sessions, and an on-site administrative office. We will also continue to expand our individual contributor base and develop our endowment fund to ensure that Quantum Leap Farm remains a viable and long-lived resource for Tampa Bay Area adults with disabilities.