Gorham Savings Bank President and CEO Steve deCastro, left, with Andrea Connor of the Maine Marathon and Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center Development Director Kelly Johnson. The Maine Marathon presented RTT with an extra donation. Contributed / Riding To the Top

The Maine Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay will donate $9,500 on top of the $10,500 announced previously this year to Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center as a 2024 beneficiary.

“Christmas came early this year,” RTT’s Executive Director Sarah Bronson said. “We were so honored to be named a beneficiary of this year’s Maine Marathon, and then to receive news this month that the donation amount was increased has been an unexpected and overwhelming gift. … As an organization that operates with a small paid staff and a large volunteer corps, we are in awe of the all-volunteer effort of the Maine Marathon. Funds from the Maine Marathon will help the clients, horses and programs of RTT as we look forward to the start of the new year.”

Riding To The Top is a nonprofit organization that connects children and adults with disabilities with equine-assisted services, including therapeutic riding, therapeutic carriage driving, equine-assisted learning, and hippotherapy, according to an organization press release. The RTT team includes certified instructors, specially trained volunteers, and a herd of exceptional horses. Clients range in age from 3 to over 90 and are referred by doctors, therapists, social workers, teachers, family members and friends.

The Maine Marathon, organized by the Maine Track Club is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit event with proceeds going to local Maine charities. Since 1997, the event has raised almost $8 million to charity. Over 50 volunteer race coordinators plan the event during the year and about 900 volunteers deliver the event on race weekend.