Rainbow Riders launch 'Raise It Up' campaign to build new Pippy Park facility
Group half way to its $4M goal, hoping to have work complete sometime in 2017
A group that offers therapeutic horseback riding to children in St. John's is launching a new campaign to meet increasing demand and build new facilities.
The organizers have already been able to raise over half of a $4-million goal, and are hopeful and optimistic that they will be secure the rest so that they can start breaking ground this fall.
Rainbow Riders offers customized horseback riding programs to children and youth with a range of cognitive and physical disabilities. The group describes their programs as using the unique relationship between a child and horse to improve physical conditioning, communication skills and social connections.
Group organizers say the piece of land they use in Pippy Park is becoming antiquated and unsustainable, and campaign co-ordinator Shannon Snow describes the current situation as "at a turning point."
Local Tim Hortons franchises just donated 250-grand. Meaning Rainbow Riders now has half of its 4-million goal <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbcnl?src=hash">#cbcnl</a> <a href="http://t.co/Ixbsl3y3Dx">pic.twitter.com/Ixbsl3y3Dx</a>
—@Jeremy_EatonMelanie Stone, a volunteer with the group, said the new facilities will be put to good use.
"We love the programs that we offer, we believe in the benefits they serve — they're very inclusive to people with disabilities but right now the facilities are limited in the scope of programming we can offer," she said.
"The new facility will allow us to offer more services to more participants and will be more wheelchair accessible so that that participants can be more independent while they're with us."
