Hands Across the Saddle helping Big Horn Basin residents for 11 years

WORLAND – For 11 years, Hands Across the Saddle has been holding fundraisers in order to fund help others.

The HATS organization has helped friends and neighbors in the Big Horn Basin with financial aid. The organization helps those who, through no fault of their own, have fallen on tough times and need a little “hand up.” All funds raised by the organization’s events go to help those in the Big Horn Basin.

Through these fundraisers, HATS has assisted residents with paying rent, small medical bills or even food and groceries for their family.

According to Scott Good, president of the Hands Across the Saddle organization, the organization was first founded by Wilford and Beverly Brimley in 2009. They called a group of friends and like-minded people together to help get the organization started.

Hands Across the Saddle helps residents of four different counties in the Big Horn Basin – Washakie, Hot Springs, Big Horn and Park.

Those in need of care from HATS can reach out through Facebook. The organization will send out applications to those who request them to explain why they need help.

“For people who are part of a certain segment of society, there’s welfare that covers them and gets them through their basic needs,” Good explained. “There’s people who are self-sufficient, where money isn’t an issue, then there’s people in between – those people in the in-between are the ones who usually fall in between the cracks.”

“Our motto is that we give you a ‘hand up’ not a ‘hand out.’ We’re not like welfare or SSI [supplemental security income]. We’re nothing like that,” Good explained. “We try to help people – who through no fault of their own – who just have instances that come up that could make it tough for them to get through.”

“The qualifications are that you put through an application and if it’s a truly legitimate need – we get a lot who are legitimate and a lot who are not legitimate – and if it’s a legitimate need, we look into how we can help and if we’re able to help,” Good said. “We try to limit it to no more than $2,500 per instance and if it is an emergency, or if it’s not – that really has nothing to do with it. You need new tires for your car? Yeah, so does everybody. You can’t pay for cancer meds? Obviously, that’s something that’s a necessity.”

“We try and help as anonymously as possible. We try not to advertise who we help,” Good said. “It’s not like you’re going to see one of us in the newspaper with a giant check. The idea is anonymity where everybody keeps their dignity. Nobody on the board is paid, nobody on the board has been paid and nobody on the board will be paid. It’s a completely volunteer organization.”

HANDS ACROSS THE SADDLE DINNER

Hands Across the Saddle will be holding their 11th annual dinner on Friday. The dinner will feature a live concert, dinner and auction fundraiser.

There were 300 tickets available for the event. However, they were sold out as of July 5.

Doors to the event open at 4 p.m., when the silent auction starts. Welcome and dinner start at 6 p.m. with live music by Lacy Nelson. At 7 p.m., games and the live action start, along with a raffle and heads or tails. At 8 p.m., the live performance begins with their headline entertainment – musician and comedian, Gary Mule Deer.

The event is at the Greybull Community Center. For updates regarding auction items and ticket availability, information can be found on the Hands Across the Saddle Facebook page.