SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – Since 2003, residents of The Village at Regional West have enjoyed a tradition of collecting spare change in a large pot then donating the money to local children’s causes. This year, they voted to split $200 in proceeds between two local organizations.

The checks were recently presented to Kathy Gatch of Buckboard Therapeutic Riding Academy and Dave Calkins of Ancova Empowerment Project.

Buckboard Academy provides therapeutic horseback riding for children and adults with special needs, as well as disabled military veterans. The $100 contribution from The Village will be applied to the indoor arena building fund.

Ancova Empower Project is an organization designed to help young people who have faced behavioral, economic, or legal challenges, to have positive and constructive experiences while gaining life skills and learning how to overcome obstacles to their success.

“We throw our spare change in the Penny Pot all year long,” said Barb Croft, who volunteers as the chair of the Village’s Independent Living Council. “Once a year, residents nominate organizations to receive the funds and we vote on them. This year we had a tie and we’re glad because both organizations do such good work.”

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 providers, and over 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.