‘Open Barn’ introduces therapeutic riding facility

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Ever wondered what a therapeutic riding facility is like, what happens there, and how it might help someone you love?

Robin Corey, owner-director of Angels on Hooves, invites you to attend its first Open Barn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at East Ridge Stable on the Ridge Road in Charleston.

This nonprofit program that provides therapeutic riding for children and adults in the area is a North American Riding for the Handicapped Association Center member, “which means that we are working on our accreditation as an operating center,” Corey explained.

At the Open Barn, Corey said, “we will have riding demonstrations with some of the children we work with, and information will be available for people who are either interested in participating in the program or in volunteering for the program.”

Angels on Hooves began working on the certification process four years ago, and has been serving children “on a regular basis, for a year and a half,” Corey said.

With approximately 30 clients, “we do have some openings,” Corey said.

Many of the children who come to Angels on Hooves are referred by nonprofit organizations that serve children with special needs.

Corey said volunteers are always needed, and always welcome, at Angels on Hooves, which is one of the only NARHA-certified facilities in the area.

“We need people to help with everything from administrative work to helping with the horses to helping with the children,” she said.

And as a nonprofit, it depends on support from the community and businesses for its operation. Any and all support is greatly appreciated and contributions

are tax-deductible.

While the organization is mainly working with children with emotional problems, it is in the process of trying to raise funds to purchase adaptive equipment to be able to work with those with physical handicaps as well.

Therapeutic riding pairs people with physical, emotional, psychological and communication impairments with a professional riding instructor, therapist, assistant and a special horse to experience this wonderful leisure activity that is so popular the world over.

If you are interested in learning more about the program, becoming part of it, or helping in any way, you have three choices.

You can attend the Open Barn, you can call Corey at 285-3625, or you can write Angels on Hooves, East Ridge Stable, 405 Ridge Road, Charleston 04422.

Last month, in conjunction with SAM’S Club of Bangor, Central Maine Street Rods sponsored a charity auction to benefit My Choice, a division of Maine Adoption Placement Services of Bangor.

CMSR vice president Pete Pelletier called to report that the auction was “a huge success.”

“We raised $4,300 and SAM’S kicked in another $1,300 for a total of $5,600,” he said.

And, although it was “not a huge crowd” who attended, Pelletier said CMSR wants “to thank all the people who donated items, and all the people who were very, very generous to bid so generously that we sold almost all the items we had.”

Pelletier added that “we had some wonderful people who volunteered their time,” and extended special thanks to volunteer auctioneers Mike Bamford of Eddington and Mike Rose of Holden.

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On behalf of the choirs of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Pauline Civiello extends thanks to restaurateur Lillian Lo and the Oriental Jade in Bangor for hosting an April fund-raiser as part of the choir’s efforts to make a missionary trip in July to England.

Civiello also reports that, during the dinner, an Irish chain quilt made by St. John’s parishioner Dianne Hodgkins was raffled and the lucky winner was Patty Hamilton.

To all who helped support the music scholarship fund, the choir members say “thank you.”

Dick Hammond, director of the American Legion 40-8 National Disaster Relief Fund, called to say he’s back in Maine after 30 days on the road bringing emergency relief supplies to folks in Mississippi, Indiana, Ohio and Iowa who’ve been battling fires, floods and tornadoes.

He asked me to remind readers that, as always, his organizations can use contributions of any kind from clothing to money, to keep the trucks on the road.

The NDRF brings emergency supplies to people throughout the United States whose communities have been hit by natural disasters, leaving many of them homeless.

Tax-deductible contributions to the NDRF can be made by mailing a check made out to that organization in care of Hammond, 30 Nickerson Lane, Rome 04963.

Contributions of items such as clothing can be brought to the NDRF warehouse from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday at its Cascade Drive location in Oakland.

If you have questions about what the organization needs for supplies at this time, call Hammond at 397-3291.

Members of the Old Town High School senior class wrote to publicly thank Rep. John Baldacci “for taking time out of his busy schedule … to sponsor a spaghetti dinner to help raise money for the senior class trip, especially considering it was on Easter weekend.”

The students report their congressman “was very courteous, caring and respectful throughout the whole thing. He asked all the seniors their plans after high school and attempted to have conversations with all of them.”

And, the OTHS seniors wrote that they wish Baldacci “the best of luck in his future campaign for governor.”

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.