The High Hopes
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Inside this issue: Board Chairman & Executive Director Message Spotlight On Success Shining the Light on Ou r Participants
The Spirit of Giving Turning a Want int o Want ing to Give
Ways to Give Holiday Thanks
From the Horse 's Mouth Horse of the Year
High Hopes Happenings New Board Members Open House
In accordance with the Amer icans wit h Disabilities Act, The High Hopes Rider is available in alt ernative formats upon request . Please contact Wendy Kni ght at Ext . 19.
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Therapeutic Riding, Inc. Phone : 860.434 .1974 Fax: 860 .434 .3723 www.highhopestr.org
Winter 2008
Scout Leadership Benefits High Hopes The Boy Scouts
of America, BSA, is an organization that provides an educational program for boys and young men, and helps to build character, train them in the responsibilities of citizenship, develop personal fitness and learn leadership skills. The BSA recognizes the achievements of Scouts through advancements in rank and special awards. The highest rank that can be attained is the rank of Eagle Scout. Very few scouts reach the rank of Eagle Scout because attaining that goal requires a great deal of dedication and, often, years of work. Before achieving the rank of Eagle, a scout must demonstrate his leadership skills. This is done by planning and carrying out an Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project. The project must be directed by the scout himself and be of benefit to the community. High Hopes was very fortunate that three young men from Troop 474 in Guilford decided that their leadership projects would benefit our riders. Each young man worked on their own specific project and involved the members of their troop in that work. Adam Clark supervised the building of a new outdoor mounting block with a long wheelchair ramp. The old mountirig block only had stairs and riders who used a wheelchair had to be carried up the steps. The new ramp and larger block will allow better accessfor all of our riders.
Greg Laird oversaw the construction of a beautiful kiosk that will contain a map of the trails and a description of the Sensory Trail activity sites. Alex Jagielski organized the creation of a new activity for the Sensory Trail, which was a rai lroad crossing. In order to cross the railroad tracks, the rider will have to pull down on a suspended rope handle which will open the gate. Chris Coyle added a bell and train sounds so that the riders can also learn railroad crossing safety. The three projects entailed more than 400 hours of volunteer service. These projects would not have been accomplished without the volunteer help of the scouts. In addition to the extraordinary efforts of the Eagle Scouts, High Hopes has been fortunate to receive support from a number of other community groups, includ ing US Navy and Coast Guard Academy members, employees from CL&P and the Waterford Target store, a number of local Boy & Girl scout troops, St. Andrews Church, Old Saybrook Middle School, Youth & Family Services, and t he Lyme/Old Lyme Middle and Elementary Schools. High Hopes would not be the magical place it is without the help and support of all of its volunteers.
Founder
essa
High Hopes Board of Trustees Officers
A New Chapter For High Hopes Happy New Year!! The dawning of 2008 br ings new happenings to High Hopes but, amidst our excitement for things to come, we wanted to recall some of the wonders of 2007. Over the past year, High Hopes served ove r 900 people with disabilities, averaging over 200 participants each week. Each and every service we offered was directly impacted by
tionorary .Trustees
our fundraising efforts which support over 70% of the actual cost of each session. In addition, through our scholarship program, we provided some level of support to nearly 50% of our riders. These scholarships often assist school groups who would otherwise be unable to participate in a program like this.
. Chairmen Emeriti Training and Education is a strong part of our mission. Through our commitment to 16 candidates from 6 countries including Israel, South Korea, Japan, Panama and Germany High Hopes impacted this field dramatically in 2007. Learning through lectures and mentored practical experience with our experienced staff, each of the candidates has acquired valuable skills to enable them to provide Equine Assisted Activities in their own countries. With the advent of the new year, High Hopes will be focused on developing a new Strategic Plan under the able guidance of former Trustee, Cheryl Hefferna n. This plan will create a framework of goals taking us forward for the next 5 years. While our work to date suggests that High Hopes will face some challenges, the outlook for continued maintenance and growth of our programs is strongly positive. A key priority continues to be finding ways to fuel the stability of High Hopes through corporate sponsorship, fund raising events such as the June 2008 Symphony in the Meadows and, of course, Annual Giving which accounts for over 25% of our revenues. This year's Annual Giving campaign, co chaired by Chairman Emeritus, Roger Smith, and Trustee, Jamie Childs, has a goal of $250,000. With your generous support, we are confident that we can reach this target . These gifts directly help to underwrite the cost of lessons, provide scholarships, care for our herd, maintain our barns, fields, arenas and pay for the ever increasing utility costs. Our annual donors like Annual gift participants
support grows stronger every year through the generosity of individual you. If you haven't yet had the opportunity, please do send in your today. If you have already given, the Board of Trustees, staff, horses and give you our heartfelt thanks!
We wish you and your family good health, happiness and prosperity for the New Year!
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Shining the Light on our Participants October
student. He is often asked to be a demonstrator in class because of his
brings the Annual
Meeting and a time when the whole High Hopes family can come together to celebrate the accomplishments of our participants, ho rses, staff, volunteers and donors. This past year was no
riding skills and he is always w illing to try new horses, explore new strategies for finding the perfect posting rhythm and str ive for total independence on any horse he rides. In addition to
exception. Reports and recognitions were shared and awards were given for outstanding achievements in a variety of areas. (See the full list of those recognized at the end of the article.) Two awards are given each year to participants in our program. One is the Patrick Moreno Sportsmanship Award which was established in 1993 by High Hopes' founder Sis Gould, in memory of Patrick Moreno. When Patri ck was no longer able to ride, Sis initiated carriage
driving at High Hopes by importing a carriage from England which could accommodate Patric k 's wheelchair. This annual award is given to the participant who shows outstanding sportsmanship, consideration of others and encouragement to his or her fellow riders, exemplifying Patrick's way of helping others and never giving into adversity . Dawn Pizzoferrato was the 2007 recipient of this esteemed award. Her former instructor, Dawn Nelligan, summed up Dawn's spirit this way, "Dawn is noble - always ready and willing to let another individual shine in the spotlight and urging others to do their best. In her journey, Dawn maintains her integrity and speaks with sincerity. She inspires us all to reach within ourselves to overcome our frailties and develop strengths that carry us through life."
Dennis' improved riding skills, his contagious smiles and sense of joy are a benefit to everyone at High Hopes. His key volunteer, Susan Ballek, says, "I am very lucky to work with Dennis on Monday evenings, and I am always in a better mood after our hour together." CONGRATULATIONSto Dawn and Dennis on their awards and being such glowing examples of the wonderful participants at High Hopes!
High Hopes Ann ual Awards Office Voltt11teerof the Year
Laurie Sulger Barn Volttnteer of the Yea,·
Donna Royston Davison Yo11 th ServiceVol111t1eerof the Year
Madison Benoit Nancy Cash Program Volrmteer of the Year Award
Debbie Welles Patrick Moreno Spo,·tsmanship Award
The other High Hopes award which recognizes a participant in our program is the Paul Burkarth Rider of the Year Award. This award was established in 1985 in memory of Paul Burkarth and is presented annually to the rider who has shown the most progress during the past year. Dennis O'Brien was the 2007 recipient of the Paul Burkarth Award. Dennis started riding at High Hopes in 1999 and has always been a motivated
Dawn Pizzoferrato Paul Bttrkarth Ride,· of the Year A ward
Dennis O'Brien Sally H . Aub, ·ey A-ward
Cheryl Heffernan Lytt Gould Leadership Award
Barbara Kashanski High Ho/JesHorse of the Year
Filly
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1v1n Turning a Want into Wanting to Give she said. "I don't have much spare money but I do have extra change now and then and I have told my family and friends that they do, too. Well, the jar won't ho ld anymore so here it is."
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ust as holiday shopping is easily done once you have a list, giving is easily done once you want to do it.
My first encounter with such a decision came when I attended a college alumnae fundraising discussion. We agreed that before asking others to give we would each make a commitment of our own . Our circumstances were varied but what we had in common was our loyalty to and our dreams for our alma mater. We got into a discussion of how we could each decide what to give without feeling the pressure of the various circumstances we faced. We all agreed that the decision of what we could give would come by considering how much we have of what we need , how much we have of what we want, and how we might consider cutting back on spending on wants, by basically redirecting some of our personal wants to wanting to give. Through this process, we made our personal commitments and led a successful fundraising campaign.
My second encounter came in being familiar with the generosity of the late John and Jessie Roberts, from whom High Hopes purchased much of its land. John and Jessie were very clearly focused on their needs ve rsus their wants, and their wanting to give to ensure High Hopes' future emerged very early in t he lif e of our mortgage on the land. Year after year, they gifted the principal payment to t he High Hopes Endowment, finding they needed only the interest payment for themselves.
Discerning wants from needs is a tough process. We are constantly pressured to acquire things for ourselves and our families, to go places, to do stuff ... the pressure does not let up. The first t ime we turn down a want or buy a less pricey item than usual, is the hardest. We feel very special that first time we turn a want into a want to give - and we shou ld. My wanting to give to High Hopes has been a constant in my budget for over 15 years. My needs and resources have varied and thus so have my g ifts to High Hopes: in the lean years a package of ballpoint pens, kitchen supplies, a can of coffee and modest contr ibut ions to the Annual Appeal and Horse Show; in the better years, Adopt-A-Horse (Cat), Annual Appeal Sponsorship, gifts of Honor and Memory and contributions to the Endowment Fund. Now I am in what I call a Planned Living mode, determin ing the level of income from my assets that I wi ll need for my foreseeable future, to whom I can entrust those assets, and who they will ult imately be nefit. Wanting to g ive something to High Hopes is part of this process. As in the past, I do not worry about how much I may ultimately give, knowing that whatever I give, it will be thankfully received and put to good use, for a cause in which I wholehearted ly believe.
These thoughts are shared by Petra Shearer who retired from the staff of High Hopes in 2006 and has been ct supporter since the early days of
My third encounter occurred when a rider in the High Hopes program came through the door one day with a huge glass jar fi lled with coins. "I've always wanted to give back to the program that is giv ing me so much,"
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High Hopes sends a BIG thank you to everyone who gave so genero usly this holiday to support the needs of the horses, volunteers and staff. The w ishes on our tree were being filled even as we wen t to print but, as of December 15th, these needs had already been met by the follow ing High Hopes Supporters. Hoof pick ................ ............... ........ ....Charles Brabazon
Flymask for Geri ....................... ............ Gillian Holloway
Feed Bag for Poncho .......... .................... ...... .Alex Lehet
Horse Treats for Smokey ...... .................Lindsay Lewchik
Complete Holistic Care & Healing and a new side pull for Knight ........................... .... Kristin Mason
Waterless shampoo for Cody .................... Avery Chmiel
Bareback pad and feed tub for Petra and Knight ......................... .......... Kim Barrows
Stall Plaque for Gordy ..... ...................... .Donna Royston
Leather Cleaner and dewo rmer ...... ............ Kathy Heller Bridle for Petra ....................... .... ............... ..Ari Detwi ler
Horse treats for Dolly .... ............ Danielle Olsen & Family
Halter for Bert .... ............. ....................... Olivia Papanier Bug spray for Nifty ............... Stephenson-Falcone Family
Halter for Filly................. ............... ....... ......Diane Walsh
Muckbucket for Rocky .......................... The Delmoro-DeMatteo Family
Fly boots for Rocky ...................... ....The Lewchik Family
Stall plaque for Bert ....... ............ ............Wesley Walters
Safety Stirrups & hoof dressing for Latino ........Kim Folts
Clippe rs for Smokey ........ .......... .......The Scotella Family
Girth for Knight ....... .......................... .......Kristen Steele
Halter plate for Greco ......................... ....... Olivia Handy
Feed Bucket fo r Gordy ........... .......... .......... Lauren Huck
Fly sheet for Apache ......................... The Scoopo Family
Fly spray and dewormer for Buddy .......... .... ....................... ..The McGirr Family
Christmas gift for Geri ............. ......The Goodson Family
Girth for Poncho .............. ............. .... ...... Travis Natalina
Donat ion for Dolly's Hoof Boot .................................... The Canning Family
Dewormer, saddle pads & fly spray for Smokey, Teddy, Cody and Al ........ .... ... Luis Gomes
Antibio t ic Cream for Smokey ....... ...........Isabella Flagge
Lead Rope ............. .............................. Sylvia Lachapelle
Horse blanket for Cody & Joint supplement for Greco .............The Longo Family
Bit for Apache ................. ............... Elizabeth Mccal lum
Leather punch for Dudley ............ ......... The Perry Family
Dewormer and fly mask for Buddy and Greco ............................... Kate Nichols
Antibiot ic ointment for Apache .......... The Wurm Family
Hoof boots for Rocky ............ .... .......Theresa Popinchalk
Feed scoop for Dolly & Tail brush for Dudley ............... .......... ...Nicole Walstra
Anyth ing Poncho needs ..... ........... ..... .... ......Debbie Roy
Fly spray for Nifty ...... ................. .........The Spicer Family
Fox Ledge Tack Shop The annual fall sale to benefit High Hopes nette d $600 this year. Thank you Carolyn and we encourage you all to visit Fox Ledge Tack Shop at 29 Daniels Rd. East Haddam , CT 06423
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(860) 873-8949 for your tack needs!
Thank Youto All!I High Hopes Wishes ... Emergency
Need :
A comm ¡ercial grade Dyson vacuum cleaner . Can anyone help? (Contact Sara Qua 860-434-1974
x 22)
Fron1 the ,
orses CT on February 26, 1982. When I was 13 years old, a kind womar:i named M. Rigmor Heydenryk, took me to live in North Stonimgton. Rigmor and I enjoyed trail and pleasur.e riding. When Rigmor was ready to retire to another state, she decided that High Hopes would be the perfect place for me to go. I we nt to my new home in the spring of 1996. That's right, I have been at High Hopes for nearly 12 years!
Hello, My name is Filly and I am one of the 20 hard work ing equ ine residen ts at High Hopes. Filly might seem like a funny name since it is what you call a baby fema le horse, but my official registered Arab name is FRFFaleema and since I am very dainty and young at heart, the name Filly suits me well. I am a "flea bitten grey", whic h means that I have a white coat with small brown flecks all over me. You may be interested to know that I was born with a chestnut colored coat but turned grey as I aged. If you look carefully you may see my wh ite star, stripe, and snip on my face and two w hite socks on my legs. They are hard to see since the rest of my coat is also w hite! I have many of the characteristics of the Arabian horse I am athletic, intuitive and have great stamina ! Let me tell you how I came to live at High Hopes. I was born in Rocky Hill ,
My favorite thing to do at High Hopes is to help riders learn to ride independ entl y. That means that th ey ride their horse without being led by a volunteer. Thi s is a ve ry exciting step for a rider to take! I know it is very important to take good care of the riders when they are riding independently so I work hard to follow their direction and pay close attent ion to w hat we are doing. Lots of riders have had their f irst independent ride with me! One of my other favorite parts of being at High Hopes is when I get to go into the arena during the "schooling" t ime and gallop around! "Schooling" time is when my friend Lauren (High Hopes' Equine Program Coordinator) gives all of us horses a chance to get some exercise, stretch and warm up our muscles before we go into our classes.Some of us get free lu nged in the indoor arena w hile ot hers get ridden or long-lined. I LOVE to free lunge ! It is so much fun! I run arou nd and check th ings out, stopping
out occasionally to peek into the windows looking ir:ito the lounge and offices to see what my human friends are up to. Sometimes Lauren has to remind rne to pay attention to her, and then I show her how I can walk, trot and canter in a perfect circle around her as if I were attached to a lunge line . I am also quite fond of feeding time! I know exactly what time I am supposed to eat and wh en I hear Holly's (High Hopes' Equine Operations Director) voice in the barn I nicker to remind her to please hurry w it h my grain! I especially like it when my grain is mixed w ith some war m water ! That way, I can get it al_l over my face! It is great for the complexion! Holly makes sure that my herd mates and I are all healthy and feel our best so that we can participate with our human friends in High Hopes' classes. This year, I was voted as High Hopes' Horse of the Year! This is a great honor, since the voting is done by High Hopes' participants and their fami lies, as we ll as volunteers and staff members. They vote for the horse who they think best demonstrates the personal ity and performance of a welltrained therapy horse. You can see why I would be fla t tered! I hope to cont inue to serve the participants at High Hopes for a long t ime to come! Hig h Hopes is not only a great place to be if you are a human but also if you are a horse!
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her new role at Connecticut College.
Volunteer Social
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igh Hopes celebrated the extraordinary efforts and dedication of their volunteer
corps at the annual Fall Volunteer Appreciation Social held in September 2007. Participant Me lissa Carney provided a heartwarming personal perspective of how much her volunteers have meant to her and helped in achieving her riding goals. The annual Volunteer Service Awards were
presented and High Hopes staff, board memb~rs, and volunteers had the opportunity to visit and get to know each other better. It was definitely a fun and fulfilling evening for all !
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Lord Creek Horse Trials & Hunter Pace Events eautiful Lord Creek Farm was the spectacular venue for the August Horse Trials and September Hunter Pace held in support of High Hopes and
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the Connecticut Valley Pony Club . A big thank you goes out to Janie Davison for making her property available for these popular equestrian events.
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n a beautiful fall day the High Hopes Leadership Circle, Adopt -An -Acre and Adopt-A-Horse donors and families had a chance to visit
High Hopes and spend time learning more about our programs and participants . Horse grooming, trail and barn tours and carriage rides in our beautiful new wagonette were some of the more popular activities offered that day.
Welcome Our New Board Members Sarah Hill Canning Sarah is a graduate of Boston University. She was an administrator at Williams/Mystic, the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport. She served as President of the Board of Trustees at the Mystic & Noank Library and on the search committee for the new Director of the Library. Sarah has been a barn volunteer at High Hopes for 3 years and received the Barn Volunteer of the Year Award at last year's Annual Meeting. She recently became a program volunteer, presently chairs the Committee on Volunteers and is Cody's Barn Buddy. Sarah and her husband, Peter, have two daughters and reside in Stonington, CT.
James M. Childs Jamie is a Residential Real Estate Agent with William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty with prior professional experience as an agent with Page-Taft GMAC Real Estate, as Director of Advertising Sales at GolfBoston Media and as an Annual Fund Officer for Milton Academy. He is a graduate of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. In addition to his volunteer service for High Hopes as Co-Chair of the Annual Appeal Committee and member of the Corporate Sponsorship, Golf Tournament, Development and Strategic Planning Committees, his current volunteer roles include Co-Chairman Headmaster's Council for Salisbury School, Old Black Point Board of Governors and Advisory Board Member for the Telaka Foundation. Jamie and his wife, Hannah, reside in Old Lyme with their three children.
ver the next few months, High Hopes will host a series of open houses and we sincerely hope you can j oin us for one of them. Your visit will be an opportunity to meet
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members of the High Hopes program staff, watch a class in session, ask questions and learn more about one of the premier therapeutic riding programs in this country. These open houses are informal and your visit can be as long or short as your schedule allows. Even if you are a regula r High Hopes volunteer or participant, ou r open house sessions promise to be informative and eye opening. They are also a great opportunity to bring a friend or neighbor to High Hopes to share your volunteer or partic ipant experience with them first hand. The High Hopes Open House Schedule for 2008 is: A. /.
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January 22 Tuesday 9:30 - 11 am
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February 27 Wednesday 5:30 - 7 pm
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Michae l holds a Ph. D. in Organic Chemistry from MIT. He is Vice President Worldw ide Pharmaceutical Sciences Supply Chain for Pfizer Inc. with prior professional experience as Reviewing Chemist, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research for the Food and Drug Administration in Rockville, MD and as a Management Consultant for McKinsey & Company, Inc. in Washingt on, DC. In addition to his vo lunteer service for Hig h Hopes as Co-Chair of the 2007 Benefit Event Corporate Sponsorship Committee and Co-Chair of the 2009 Benefit Concert Comm ittee , he served on the Board of the Lymes' Youth Service Bureau. Michael and his w ife , Patt y, reside in Lyme, CT with their three sons.
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March 26
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Please RSVPto Sara Qua (860-434-1974 x 22) before the day of yo ur visit to help us in our planning. We hope to see you here!
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The journey to the New Outdoor Arena
Contributors to the
High HopesRider Wint er 2008 Photos & Articles: Judie Driscoll, FRF Faleema , Lauren Fitzgerald, Carolyn Jagielski , Wendy Knight, Kristin Mason, Earl Mummert, Heathe r Leigh Northrop, Sara Qua, Petra Shearer, Kitty Stalsburg, Holly Sundmacker, Tony Thurston
ne of thi s summers most exciting facility improvements was the expansion and enhanced safety of our outdoor arena. The new arena has been expanded to meet international dressage competition standards, has been given higher and safer fencing, and has been fitted with the same rubberi zed footing used in our .indoor arena . High Hop es would like to thank The Homeland Foundation and "Wild Bill" and Joanne Ives for their generous support of this much needed upgrade.
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Editor: Heather Leigh Northrop Designer: Kelley Cahill
This newsletter is underwritten by
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