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GIVING BACK CONTEST - WINNERS Giving Back Hall of Fame:    After receiving over thirty entries for Stable Management's third annual Giving Back contest, choosing a winner was not easy. The diversity of shared experiences and countless stories of charitable efforts amazed us as the infinite amount of time and effort that peers in our industry dedicate to giving back is tremendous. We thank everyone who participated this year and eagerly look forward to next year's contest! Congratulations to the 2010 1st Place Winner and recipient of $10,000 sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health...  Riverbank FarmDavison, MI We are a small riding school—six horses—catering exclusively to non-horse-owning beginners. Our horses are highly suited for community service. One in particular, Stormy, was named the Genesee County Humane Society Animal of the Year for her lifetime of community service. More than 7,000 Girl Scouts have earned their Horse Lover’s Badge here at Riverbank. In that capacity, we donate one or two of our popular Day with Horses programs each year for scouts from financially strapped neighborhoods in nearby Flint, Mich. We have also given Day with Horses outings to the Whaley Children’s Center (a local orphanage for abused children), the IMA Foundation’s Academy Program for at-risk youth, and the Genesee County Community Action Agency’s youth outreach program. We’ve offered volunteer riding instruction for Flint’s Beecher High School summer school initiative, and for the Connexion Youth Drug Prevention Program.We have taken horses into the city for field days at Holy Rosary School, the Davidson Summerfest, the Jordan College (inner city) basketball program, the Flint Children’s Museum, Michigan School for the Deaf, 4-C’s Child Care Consortium, Muscular Dystrophy Walk-a-thon, three Human Society Walk-a-thons and to American Cancer Society Relay for Life Walk-a-thons.  In multiple years, we’ve hosted youth from Flint’s Boys and Girls Club for a fall stable outing. This is just a sampling of the outreach efforts here at Riverbank.It was necessary for us to close Riverbank for a couple of years when I suffered two separate bouts of breast cancer. During that time, I wrote an operating manual for novice-level riding schools. The manual grew into the American Association of Riding Schools (AARS), a new, national program. www.ucanride.com. A chapter of the manual describes the value of, and procedures for, working with community groups. When the AARS is well-established, we can add our own non-profit division to further assist small novice-level stables with their community service efforts.  In the meantime, we begin each spring by sending gift certificates to various local organizations. This year, we chose the Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Club, Whaley Children’s Center, the Women’s Shelter, and Court-Appointed Youth Specialists. I would love to describe in detail some special aspect of each of the service outreaches we’ve enjoyed here, but there just isn’t room. Every one has a particular child or moment that made it truly rewarding.A short while ago, I met with the coordinator of the Genesys-Hurley Cancer Institute to develop a horse-related outreach program for breast cancer survivors. Most recently, I have just published under the AARS, a brief titled, “Horses ~ The Hobby You Can Hug: What You Should Know Before Enrolling in Lessons or Purchasing a Horse.” This promotional information piece will serve nationally as a support piece to attract new, non-horse-owning enthusiasts to our exciting and rewarding sport and hobby.CLICK HERE for 2010 Honorable Mentions and a Complete List of Entries  |
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