Updated event will be a square dance & dinner
Teens struggling with mental health will benefit from Ben’s Ranch Foundation’s annual Barn Bash this Saturday, April 13. The event at Conner Prairie has been updated to be adults-only and will include square dance instruction, square dancing, dinner, a silent auction, prizes, and more.
Ben’s Ranch Foundation operates and supports programs designed to connect teens who have mental health challenges to jobs on farms and at stables and equine therapy facilities. The organization has found that exposure to structured work, nature, and animals complements traditional therapies and helps teens relieve stress, build confidence, and learn new skills.
“More than one-fourth of Indiana kids have considered taking their own lives,” Ben’s Ranch Foundation Founder and Executive Director Brose McVey said. “Ben’s Ranch is focused on improving the lives and futures of teens by connecting them to experiences outdoors, on farms and at stables. My own son, Ben, experienced incredible mental health benefits when he spent 18 months on a Wyoming ranch. We are trying to replicate that experience here in Indiana in a small – but equally beneficial – way.”
The top sponsors of the Barn Bash include Northwind Pharmaceuticals, Round Room, Barthuly Irrigation, Delta Faucet, and Dean Dorton.
Tickets start at $50 and can be purchased here. The event also features an online silent auction that is now open. You can see items and bid at app.galabid.com/2024barnbash. Bidders don’t have to attend the event or even live in central Indiana. The organization will ship items to winners. The Barn Bash kicks off at 5 p.m. and the silent auction closes at 7 p.m.
About Ben’s Ranch Foundation
Ben’s Ranch Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in central Indiana. The organization operates and supports programs designed to connect teens who have mental health challenges to jobs on farms and in stables and equine therapy facilities. Businessman Brose McVey founded the organization in honor of his late son, Ben, who suffered from mental illness before his unexpected death at 24 years old. For more information, visit bensranch.org.