Kaylee Champions the Mission at Champ’s Heart

Timeless Youth Philanthropist 2024
Kaylee Wilson
Out of the more than 300 volunteers at Champ’s Heart, Kaylee Wilson stands out. She’s put in countless hours at the organization dedicated to connecting people with the healing power of horses.
 
As Lori Johnson, the Event Coordinator for Champ’s Heart, said, “Kaylee is an amazing volunteer. She is well-rounded, a great listener, a great worker, and a great partner for the children at Champ's Heart. She is the youngest blue hat [coach] at the barn, and she outworks and outdoes the adults.” 

​For her high school senior project, this year’s Timeless Youth Philanthropist went above and beyond once again: Kaylee conceptualized, created, and organized a Champ's Heart rodeo. It took place during the Warbonnet Roundup and Kaylee created events for Champ’s Heart kids that they could safely accomplish. 53 kids were involved in events including barrel racing, buggy racing, and a boot game. 

​In her nomination of Kaylee, Lori shared more about the incredible impact Kaylee made with the rodeo:
 
“Kaylee involved so many children with disabilities that would have never been able to be in a rodeo. There was a great announcer, announcing every child's name over the loudspeakers. The excitement was out of this world. It was organized and smooth. Kaylee thought of every little thing. She got volunteers to be there and they all knew what their job was. Parents got to see their children perform in a real rodeo arena. There were so many smiles all around.    
 
Kaylee's accomplishment with the rodeo was a very huge undertaking. It took months of planning, phone calls, practice, and hard work. She is an outstanding young lady with hundreds of volunteer hours. She did something huge with the rodeo.”
 
We spoke with Kaylee to learn more about what inspired her to start volunteering with Champ’s Heart and what it was like to find out she’d won an Idaho Philanthropy Day award.

What led you to start volunteering with Champ’s Heart?
Kaylee: I’ve loved horses for a long time, but didn’t have a way to work with them. I started looking up places to do that. Champ’s Heart kept popping up. I fell in love with it. The kids, the horses, and the work.
 
How did it feel to learn you’d won the Timeless Youth Philanthropist award?
Kaylee: I was pretty speechless. It was a really big surprise. I didn’t know any of it was coming. It was really cool.
 
Lori got to deliver the news about the award to Kaylee on a special day: Kaylee’s birthday. Talk about a happy birthday surprise!
 
Kaylee also spoke about the impact Champ’s Heart has had on her. “I’ve learned a lot through it, some good life skills. I’m seeing where the hard work that you put in goes. I think it’s a huge boost for the future.”
 
Volunteering with Champ’s Heart has helped Kaylee see new possibilities for her future. She’s always been interested in animal science, and now she knows there are many different branches that interest could take.

​Kaylee’s parents have noticed the impact Champ’s Heart has had on their daughter as well. Her mom, Lacey, shared that “The worries she had earlier In the day at school are minimized and her opportunity to see [kids] smiling despite their challenges has helped her have a perspective that every teenager could benefit from. I think it's helped her not take for granted what good things are, and just love life.” 

​Kaylee’s dad, Brad, added, “Kaylee's learned life lessons at her age that 40 and 50-year-old adults still haven’t, me probably being one of them. I've watched her grow so much just from her interactions with people like Lori at Champ’s. It was a big part of her life, but it's become who she is, too.”
 
Lori concluded, “Kaylee will make a great positive difference in the big world. I can’t tell you how proud I am of this girl. She’s going to set the world on fire. She’s going to make the world a better place. I’m a better person because of her.”
 
Congratulations to Kaylee and thank you for all you do for Champ’s Heart!

​Written by: Sonya Feibert

​Sonya is a writer living in Boise, Idaho. She loves hiking in the foothills with her family and teaching and performing improv. ​Learn more