Three local wild horse advocacy groups working with the national organization, Return to Freedom, and in conjunction with the Nevada Department of Agriculture are working to keep wild horses on the Virginia Range roaming free.
Wild Horse Preservation League in Dayton, with the help of Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund in Reno, Let ‘em Run Foundation in the Virginia Highlands and Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Association are putting on Spirit of the West, a fundraiser from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 29 in the Nevada Room of the Governor’s Mansion, 606 Mountain St.
All funds raised will be shared by the horse advocacy groups sponsoring the event.
“Wild horses mean a lot to people, they represent being wild and free, and we want to work together to keep them safe with proper management for the rest of their lives,” said Bonnie Matton, president of the Wild Horse Preservation League.
The fundraiser, whose master of ceremonies is Eddie Floyd of Renegade Radio, offers entertainment by James Lee Reeves, a musician and comedian, and Willis Lamm, a singer, songwriter and wild horse advocate.
Mark Terrell, a wild horse photographer whose work is displayed at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, is showing and selling his photographs.
To round out the festivities, Robin Holabird, a movie critic for KUNR and former deputy director of the Nevada Film Office, will present a short film featuring the music of Lacy J. Dalton and photographs of Virginia Range horses.
There will be a silent auction and a bar and western style buffet by John Hurzel, a local chef.
Tickets, which are limited, cost $35 per person. To buy one, call Dorothy at 775-246-0434, or go to www.WildHorsePL.org.