At Wings of Eagles Ranch, every child gets the chance to soar
What began as one mother's effort to help her son has grown into a place where children with special needs, families and volunteers all find confidence, community and hope.
As visitors make their way down the winding gravel road, they’re greeted by a series of uplifting signs fastened to the trees, many adorned with beloved “Peanuts” characters: “Make a Difference Today!” “Never Stop Exploring.” “Spread Kindness.”
They serve as more than just directions to Wings of Eagles Ranch. They set the tone for what awaits beyond them — a place where every child is welcomed, accepted and encouraged to thrive.
Nestled away from the noise and pace of everyday life, Wings of Eagles Ranch provides a haven for children with special needs and their families. Located at 4800 Faith Trails in Concord, the nonprofit serves families across six counties, helping participants build strength, confidence and independence while simply enjoying the freedom to be kids.
Children can experience therapeutic horseback riding, cast a fishing line into the ranch's pond, explore a sensory trail, soar down the zip line, take flight on the ranch's "Flying Squirrel" that lifts them 30 feet into the air, create pottery and other arts and crafts, or spend time enjoying the outdoors with friends.
In addition to horseback riding, fishing and other activities, campers also spend time at the ranch's outdoor chapel, where they sing songs and hear a message from a local pastor.
This summer, the ranch is once again hosting its weeklong camps, giving children with special needs the opportunity to enjoy many of the same summer traditions that have long been a rite of passage for generations of children.
The camps are made possible by dozens of volunteers, including many former campers who have returned to give back. They are joined by Occupational Therapy Assistant students from Cabarrus College of Health Sciences and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, who gain valuable hands-on experience while working alongside the campers.
The ranch also partners with Pfeiffer University's Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program and Duke University School of Medicine, giving students valuable hands-on experience while serving campers and their families.
“Everybody needs to do this, I really believe that,” said Brandon Scott, chair of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program. “If we had everybody, we would understand each other more. You see people as people, not as a diagnosis or as a child with special needs.”
“What’s beautiful about Wings of Eagles is every kid is welcome,” Scott added.
Although the ranch provides valuable hands-on experience for student volunteers, its mission has always centered on the children it serves — helping them build confidence, make friends and simply enjoy being kids.
Few people have witnessed those transformations more than Anna Starnes, who has been part of Wings of Eagles for about 15 years. She began as a volunteer and now serves on the ranch's staff, pitching in wherever she's needed.
Over the years, she has watched many of the same children grow in both confidence and independence.
"I absolutely love the kids," said Starnes, who was overseeing the camp's pottery activity during her interview with The Cabarrus Compass.
“Just being able to see them every single year and the improvements they’ve made because of what we do out here is so rewarding,” she added.
Origins of the Ranch
Wings of Eagles Ranch grew from one mother’s experience watching her son discover abilities she never imagined.
Founder Christine Cronin established the ranch in 1998 after seeing firsthand the life-changing impact horseback riding had on her son, Brendan, who has cerebral palsy.
Originally from California, Cronin moved to Cabarrus County after her husband's work in the racing industry brought the family to the area.
Shortly after arriving, a friend from church invited her to go horseback riding. Although she knew little about horses, she accepted the invitation — a decision that would ultimately shape the rest of her life.
Soon, the entire family, including Cronin’s three children, was riding. For Brendan, the experience proved transformative, as he forged a close bond with his horse, Mudslide Slim.
“He really just soared when you put him on a horse,” Cronin said.
Beyond the joy of riding, Brendan’s confidence blossomed. The therapy improved his balance, eventually allowing him to ride a two-wheel bicycle.
Today, Brendan is an integral part of the ranch, helping his mother operate the property while running heavy equipment and baling hay. Outside the ranch, Brendan enjoys mountain biking, water-skiing with one hand and tackling black-diamond ski slopes.
The ranch remains a true family endeavor. Cronin's daughter, Allie, also works there, serving as director of the high ropes course while overseeing the ranch's marketing and social media efforts.
From the beginning, Cronin said she and her family refused to place limits on what Brendan could accomplish.
“No is not part of his vocabulary,” Cronin said.
After witnessing those changes, she began wondering how many other children could benefit from the same opportunity. Following much prayer, she founded Wings of Eagles to share that experience with families across the region.
“I had really seen the miracles that were happening with my own child, so we decided to open Wings of Eagles Ranch,” Cronin said.
The ranch’s name reflects Cronin’s Christian faith and comes from Isaiah 40:31:
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Wings of Eagles began by offering therapeutic horseback riding for children and adults with special needs. The adaptive riding sessions help participants become comfortable and confident around horses while improving balance, flexibility, confidence and communication through interactions with horses, volunteers and fellow riders.
Wings of Eagles is currently home to 22 horses, several of which have been part of the ranch for at least two decades.
For many campers, the horses become much more than companions — they are partners in the therapeutic process.
Cronin said a horse’s gait closely mirrors the natural movement of the human body. For children who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility, riding allows them to experience that natural walking motion in a way they otherwise could not.
“You put him on a horse and he gets the feel of you and I walking,” Cronin said. “What the horse does is it improves his core strength.”
“It’s the most remarkable therapy, just the motion and the movement of an animal,” she added.
In 2000, the ranch expanded its mission by launching its first summer camp. Today, it also offers seasonal and quarterly day camps that give children with special needs opportunities to enjoy horseback riding, outdoor recreation, arts and crafts, and other activities in a supportive environment.
Campers come with a wide range of physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities. About 75% of campers have special needs, while the remaining 25% are neurotypical children.
Cronin said that mix is intentional. While children with special needs build confidence and realize they are capable of more than they ever imagined, their neurotypical peers and the volunteers who serve alongside them gain something equally valuable: empathy, understanding and lasting friendships.
A Community Built on Volunteers
Walking across the ranch’s 15 acres, it’s impossible to stand still for long.
Children and volunteers move constantly from one activity to the next. Horses carry campers around the riding area, laughter echoes from the zip line, fishing poles line the pond and various games unfold across the property.
At the center of it all sits Cronin’s Ranch House, the heart of the camp. From one of the porch’s rocking chairs, Cronin can watch much of the activity unfold.
The July 6-10 day camp included 35 campers ranging in age from 4 to 30. Most children with special needs are paired one-on-one with a volunteer who stays by their side throughout the day.
“It’s just about play,” Cronin said. “Teaching kids to play. Get them in the water, playing pickleball, playing basketball, coloring with chalk, just whatever. It’s keeping kids outside off their device.”
Cronin is quick to point out that, while she founded Wings of Eagles and serves as its executive director, the ranch would not exist without its volunteers.
Some have been coming to the ranch for years, while others are experiencing it for the first time.
Natalie Russell, an Occupational Therapy Assistant student at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, was volunteering at Wings of Eagles for the first time. She discovered that every child brings a unique personality and set of needs.
“This is a really incredible experience,” Russell said. “Every single child is unique. You just have to learn about them.”
For many young volunteers — particularly OTA students — that learning extends far beyond the classroom. They gain hands-on experience assisting children with daily living tasks, from helping with mobility to, in some cases, changing diapers, while learning how to communicate with children who have a wide range of needs.
While some volunteers come to Wings of Eagles to gain professional experience, others are there because the ranch has already changed their own families' lives.
As children carefully painted colorful streaks onto one of the ranch’s horses, Margaret Almond watched nearby, helping where needed. For her, volunteering is deeply personal.
Margaret’s twin 8-year-old sons, Jackson and Stafford, who are mostly nonverbal, have participated in Wings of Eagles’ therapeutic riding program and summer camp for years. Their sister, Grace, also enjoys spending time at the ranch, giving the entire family a front-row seat to the difference it has made in their lives.
“There’s nothing like a kid on a horse,” Margaret said, explaining that her sons love the independence they experience while riding. “When they get on the horse, they just calm down.”
She said one of her sons often covers his ears when he becomes overstimulated, but as soon as the horse begins to walk, his hands slowly lower.
“He just melts into the horse,” Margaret said.
Margaret's husband, N.C. Rep. Jonathan Almond, has witnessed that transformation as well.
"Wings of Eagles will always have a special place in my heart," he told The Cabarrus Compass. "It is the first summer camp that all three of my children can go to together. When you drive onto the property, you can feel the presence of peace."
Almond said the ranch offers something every family hopes to find — a place where children are welcomed, encouraged and free to be themselves.
“It’s incredible to see children of all abilities have a place where they can thrive and have fun!” Almond added. “Everyone involved out at the ranch has a servants heart and their hard work makes Wings of Eagles a great success!”
For many families, the impact of Wings of Eagles extends well beyond the time they spend at the ranch. Friendships between campers, volunteers and families continue long after summer ends, with many parents turning to trusted volunteers as babysitters because of the bonds they’ve built with their children.
The ranch has even played matchmaker on occasion. A few volunteers who first met while serving at Wings of Eagles later tied the knot.
“They met, got married and it’s happily ever after,” Cronin said.
Cronin said the day camps benefit parents like Almond as much as the children. For five hours each day, families know their children are in a safe, supportive environment, giving parents a chance to rest, run errands or simply take time for themselves.
“This is a hard job for all of the parents, so to be able to give parents a respite is really important,” Cronin said.
Looking Ahead
As Wings of Eagles continues to welcome new campers and their families, the ranch is preparing for its next chapter.
Its newest project is the construction of five ADA-accessible retreat cabins nestled among the trees. Scheduled to open in January, each brick cabin will feature two bedrooms, one-and-a-half bathrooms, and front and back porches with rocking chairs, providing families with a peaceful place to spend a weekend surrounded by nature.
“This will be a place just for them to retreat,” Cronin said.
While their children participate in activities around the ranch, parents will have an opportunity to relax, recharge or simply enjoy time together.
“Mom and Dad will have some breathing room off property,” she said.
Several Charlotte-based interior designers will soon volunteer their time and talents to furnish and decorate the cabins, helping create warm, welcoming spaces for future guests.
The project has drawn support from across the community. McGee Brothers constructed the cabins, while Shoe Show and the Cannon Foundation have provided critical financial support to help make the vision a reality.
The ranch also received support from the state. In the recently approved state budget, Rep. Jonathan Almond and the rest of the Cabarrus County legislative delegation secured a $200,000 appropriation for Wings of Eagles.
For Cronin, the cabins represent yet another way Wings of Eagles can serve children and families beyond its camps and therapeutic riding programs, extending the same spirit of community, encouragement and respite that has defined the ranch for nearly three decades.
Coming Full Circle
By the ranch’s pond, where campers patiently wait for the next fish to bite, Brendan Cronin keeps a watchful eye on the children, making sure everyone is safe while sharing in their excitement.
“I enjoy seeing the smiles on their faces when they catch a fish, or even the joy of seeing a fish for the first time,” Brendan said.
Having grown up with cerebral palsy, Brendan — whose own journey inspired the creation of Wings of Eagles — understands the hesitation some campers feel before climbing onto a horse or stepping onto the zip line. As a child, he endured years of seizures before eventually undergoing brain surgery.
Today, he finds joy in watching those same children overcome fears that once seemed impossible to conquer.
“What’s cool, especially with the horses, is watching them conquer their fear,” Brendan said. “It’s cool to see them grow.”
For Brendan, helping campers discover confidence and independence is his way of giving back to a place that transformed his own life.
“It is awesome seeing the kids come back year after year,” he said.
For Brendan and Christine Cronin, the ranch is more than a place for therapy and recreation — it is a place where they believe God is at work.
“You can’t deny the hand of God is here,” Cronin said. “I get excited to see what God’s going to do next.”
For more information about the ranch, visit wingsofeaglesranch.org.