WHERE:
EQUI-KIDS
2626 Heritage Park Drive
Virginia Beach VA 23456

EQUI-KIDS Therapeutic Riding Program is hosting the players of the Norfolk Admirals for a meet and greet with our riders this Thursday, April 5, from 6-7PM.

Amidst their record breaking 23 win season and recent playoff berth, players are coming out to show their community support of our program—and share in pizza, autographs and photos with our special needs riders. Players will also be able to see our program in action during our evening lessons!

Media and press invited to attend!

EQUI-KIDS Therapeutic Riding Program is honored to announce its selection as a partner agency of the United Way of South Hampton Roads. Over the past year, EQUI-KIDS embarked on a competitive selection process to be considered, and this designation marks the first time in EQUI-KIDS’ twenty-three year history that it has been included as a partner agency of the United Way of South Hampton Roads.

“At United Way, our mission is to advance South Hampton Roads by creating opportunities for a better life for all,” said Tamikia Vazquez, Vice President of Community Solutions at United Way of South Hampton Roads. “EQUI-KIDS provides those opportunities while supporting education and health, two of our three focus areas. We’re excited to partner with this organization and the work they do for our community.”

With the continued expansion of EQUI-KIDS’ program services to provide, promote and support equine assisted activities for individuals with disabilities, this partnership will further expand the organization’s mission outreach and community awareness, as well as provide much needed funding to sustain the services it provides to its special needs participants.

“EQUI-KIDS is grateful to have been selected as a United Way member agency,” commented Jill Haag, Executive Director of EQUI-KIDS. “Through our shared visions in creating a better life for individuals within our communities, we look forward to working together to improve lives in South Hampton Roads”

EQUI-KIDS Therapeutic Riding Program is proud to announce that in 2011, EQUI-KIDS’ volunteers contributed 19,571 hours in volunteer time; the equivalent of $418,036 in service dollars! This benchmark reflects an increase of 38% over 2010 hours, and EQUI-KIDS anticipates another ground breaking increase in volunteer service for the coming year.

For the past five years, the national volunteer rate has held steady at 26%, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service. EQUI-KIDS’ volunteer rate continues to climb to meet the demand of the organization’s program service expansion to serve hundreds of disabled riders each year.

“We are honored and humbled to have the support of more than 300 volunteers who help us deliver our mission every day,” commented Executive Director, Jill Haag. “Our volunteers set the benchmark for exceptional service delivery, and their contributions save our program hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in service to our community. They are the backbone of our program.”

EQUI-KIDS recognizes the power of volunteerism, and we applaud our hard-working volunteer core for the impact, dedication, and devotion they provide to serve our disabled community.

EQUI-KIDS Therapeutic Riding Program, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Virginia Beach, VA, is holding its first ever Holiday Riding Session for its riders. The three-week lesson session is being offered to give riders a chance to participate in riding between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Forty riders are signed up for the Holiday Session that began November 28 and will run through this week.

Harold Barkley, father of Harold “Bubby” Barkley said of his son riding, “Bubby really enjoys coming over here. He thinks that Sadie is his horse. Just this morning he told me we need to move so we live close to
EQUI-KIDS, and that way he can see her. He really loves this place and he can’t wait for Thursdays to come so he can come out and ride his Sadie. ”

“We wanted to offer an opportunity for our riders to continue lessons during the downtime between Fall and Winter Lessons,” said Kathy Chitwood, Program Director at EQUI-KIDS. “The three week lesson session will have Holiday music and Holiday themed games—and allows us to continue offering our therapeutic services and still have some quiet, restful time for our horses. After the three week session, the horses will have a couple of weeks to train in preparation for our Winter Lesson Session that begins at the start of the year.”

EQUI-KIDS offered Winter Lessons last year for the first time after completion of the Indoor Riding Arena. The Holiday Session is a continuation of EQUI-KIDS expanding its services to the community. After having a waiting list of 350 individuals, the program no longer has a wait list and looks for ways to further its mission of providing equine assisted activities to those with disabilities.

EQUI-KIDS Therapeutic Riding Program, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Virginia Beach, VA, hosted its ‘Giddy Up and Go’ Free Gas for a Year Raffle with a grand prize of $3,500 in gasoline gift cards for one lucky winner. The ticket was drawn during The Stall Ball on November 12, 2011 and the grand prize winner was Karen Mercier of Chesapeake.

“I knew about EQUI-KIDS and heard a lot of wonderful things about the organization,” said Mercier. “I work with a member of their Board of Directors, and when she posted on Facebook that she was selling Free Gas for a Year raffle tickets, I said ‘I am in for two’ because it is such a worthwhile cause.”

The Giddy Up and Go Raffle raised $6,250.00 to support EQUI-KIDS’ program services. “This is the first year for our fundraising raffle.” says Jill Haag, EQUI-KIDS Executive Director. “The much needed proceeds from this event will help us expand our outreach throughout the special needs community.”

Ticket sales for the 2012 raffle will begin April 1 and the winning ticket will be pulled on October 31.

The Knights and Ladies Auxiliary serve dinner and make gifts for each of the riders which is delivered by a “special visitor.” It is an annual tradition and the event is attended by the riders, their families, volunteers, staff and Board members of EQUI-KIDS.