Give the Gift of Sight: Heidi's Relief Ride 2025

Funding needs: $16,000 ($6,000 for travel costs, $10,000 for supplies, surgeries, doctors)

Why I’m Going and Why I Need Your Help

Helping others gain their independence means everything to me. I went on the Pushkar Relief Ride two years ago and it changed my life.

The Khimsar Relief Ride, February 12 - 22, 2025, is another chance to ride from remote village to remote village by horseback and deliver much needed medical aid to villagers and school supplies to over 1,200 children. Hands-on humanitarianism at it's best - with horses!

By participating in this ride, I’m helping to provide free cataract surgeries for 25–50 people, restoring their independence and re-engaging them with their communities.

Imagine the moment they open their eyes to a world they thought they had lost forever—the joy, the relief, the freedom. And with your support, we can reach even more people.

But cataract surgeries are just one part of the mission. Relief Riders also empowers women in these communities through its "Give-a-Goat" program. Many of these women are widows or single mothers struggling to make ends meet.

A goat provides them not only with a sustainable source of food through milk and cheese, but also a product to trade and sell. They, too, go from struggling to thriving, from dependent to contributing members of their community.

The medical camps we run on the ride offer dental treatments to 300–400 patients and provide educational materials to 1,200 children. It’s not just about health—it’s about helping entire communities thrive and become self-sufficient.

Help Me Bring Sight and Independence to Communities in India

Imagine slowly losing your ability to see—your world darkening day by day. For one year, five years, or longer, you can no longer perform even the simplest tasks without help. You’ve become dependent on the kindness of others just to survive.

Now, imagine living this way in a rural community where food, clean water, and shelter are already hard to come by.

This is the reality for many in the rural communities in India that Relief Riders serves. But here’s the transformative part: through a simple, fifteen-minute cataract surgery, we can give these individuals the gift of sight once again.

Unfortunately, most rural Indians do not have access to this type of medical care. That’s why Relief Riders sets up medical camps designed to reach these underserved communities, providing free, life-changing surgeries to give individuals back their sight.

The Power of Your Contribution

Your donation is more than just a financial gift—it’s a gift of freedom, dignity, and independence to people who have been waiting for a miracle. Every dollar I raise goes directly to expanding these programs, allowing us to reach more people in need.

Think about how incredible it will feel to know that your donation helped someone regain their sight, lifted a family out of poverty, or provided vital healthcare to a child.

You can make that happen. I’m personally taking this journey to ensure that every dollar you contribute reaches those who need it most.

Together, we can change lives—one surgery, one goat, one family at a time.

Let’s Do This Together

I’m committed to this mission, February 12-22, 2025, but I can’t do it alone. Every ripple of your generosity creates waves of transformation.

Thank you in advance for donating to my fundraiser because together, we can bring liberation and independence to the incredible people of rural India.

With deep gratitude,

Heidi

Relief Riders International is a humanitarian-based adventure travel company (not a non-profit) that designs and leads horseback journeys through remote areas while providing humanitarian aid to rural populations. Since 2004 they have been able to improve the lives of over 25,000 people, including 18,700 children in India, Turkey, and Ecuador.