Each fall, the Intellectual Film Club puts on a production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” for which the club must raise $600 to pay for the rights and royalties. In past years, the club has had to raise the funds on their own. Christine Morzek, President of the Intellectual Film Club explains, “This year we were lucky to get funding from Student Senate so we finally had the ability to do something else with the money that we made.” The group was able to create a new event called Corsets for a Cause and used that money to help the Capital Area Therapeutic Riding Association (CATRA) and turned this year’s event on Nov. 15 into a fundraiser specifically focused on collecting material as well as monetary donations for the association.

CATRA has had the opportunity to work with countless individuals with disabilities since 1985 through animal-assisted therapy, giving the disabled persons one-on-one horseback riding experiences. Horseback riding is used therapeutically to help individuals build muscle, improve balance, increase coordination, develop motor planning skills, build confidence and self-worth as they participate in an athletic task and reach goals they never thought they could reach. Competition horseback riding events are used to help show riders their progress and to work with individuals to set and exceed goals. Along with horses, CATRA works with numerous other animals: dogs, cats, donkeys, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, pot-bellied pigs, chickens and ducks. The Intellectual Film Club has hopes of continuing their relationship with CATRA.

“We want to get members of the film club out there and actually giving some help,” Morzek said. CATRA is always looking for donations — primarily dog, cat and rabbit supplies, crackers for goats, paper towels, hot drink mixes and other various snack items. Monetary donations are also accepted and can be given directly to CATRA via their website or through Christine Morzek, the president of the Intellectual Film Club.