Powder River Energy Foundation recently presented a $6,000 donation to CHAPS Equine Assisted Services to assist with its mission of providing a resource for empowerment and healing as well as physical and mental well-being through equine assisted services. A Sheridan-based organization, CHAPS serves community members ages 4 to 90+ through four programs: adaptive (therapeutic) riding; adaptive (therapeutic) carriage driving; equine assisted learning; and equine facilitated psychotherapy, according to CHAPS Executive Director, Kristen Marcus.

“We connect horses and humans so humans can learn, grow and heal,” Marcus said. CHAPS continues to grow toward record numbers because of community collaborations and performance reviews.

CHAPS serves a multitude of diagnoses including ADD/ADHD, autism, anxiety, cerebral palsy, depression, Down's syndrome, genetic disorders, intellectual developmental delay, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and suicidal ideation.

CHAPS served more than 340 people in 2025 – an all-time record. Clients pay for a portion of the services, but donations such as these ensure that the program can be offered regardless of financial hardship. Marcus said that rising costs of care and feeding of the horses in the program make the Foundation’s support even more important for 2026.

“The PRECorp Foundation supports groups like CHAPS because they fill one of the Foundation’s general tenets which is to give a hand up to those in need in northeast Wyoming.  We appreciate CHAPS’ ability to bring therapeutic horsemanship to northeast Wyoming,” said Foundation Board President John Flocchini.

The Foundation is the charitable arm of the Powder River Energy electric cooperative. The Foundation is funded from a variety of sources including member donations through Operation RoundUp® Program, fundraisers, unclaimed capital credits, and large matching grants.

The Foundation focuses its giving to charitable organizations in Campbell, Crook, Johnson, Sheridan, and Weston counties.