Spirit Therapies held their annual Volunteer Day last Saturday, inviting local supporters to come grab a shovel, paintbrush, or wheelbarrow and help with improvements to the therapeutic riding facility.  Started in 2002, Spirit Therapies is well known in Las Vegas for their work helping disabled children and adults improve their physical condition and positively enhance their mental and emotional wellbeing.  Over 170 people came by to provide assistance throughout the day, like Alyssa Jennings who helped repaint the walls and roof of the tack room.  New sand was spread in the arena, stalls were repaired and founder Laurie Willmott was kept busy keeping everyone else busy. 

Her passion for the therapeutic riding program is infectious, and she works tirelessly to improve the facility for our community and its special-needs members.

One of Willmott’s most important volunteers is 17-yr old Steven Fernandes, who started maintaining the website several years ago after seeing an article in the newspaper on the program.  But he also spends almost every day at the facility fixing plumbing, doing construction work and managing the grounds.  Fernandes says he grew up around horses and loves working for Spirit Therapies.  But his time is becoming bittersweet as he spends his last year with the program before entering the Marine Corps after graduation in 2012.  Coincidentally, last year Willmott also began offering the benefit of therapeutic horsemanship to active and veteran military members recovering from wounds suffered while in service to our country.

To maintain the therapy horses involved with the program takes countless volunteer hours and thousands of dollars each year.  The return in benefits to the program participants, however, is priceless.  Parents see amazing differences in children who were unable to walk or unwilling to speak, yet after coming to Spirit Therapies have improved dramatically.  This facility is recognized as a Premier Accredited Center of the NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped Association), the global authority for equine assisted activities.  Spirit Therapies received premier accreditation based on NARHA requirements for administrative, facility, and program standards.

Although Saturday was more of a work day than a fundraiser, Spirit Therapies did receive an unexpected endowment from a very special person.  Nine year old Michael Guerrero had asked his parents several months ago if he could donate his $34 in savings to a local charity, and together they chose Spirit Therapies.  Then he asked if he could possibly raise some more.  After Michael appealed to friends, family, and his dad’s co-workers to contribute, he was able to present a check today for $1,095 to sponsor “Do It” and “Pablo”, the program’s oldest and youngest therapy horses respectively.   Michael provided a powerful example of what can be done when you put your heart into something, and was given a special award by Spirit Therapies for his selfless generosity.

The donations for the day, including Michael’s bequest,totaled about $1200, which helped offset a good portion of Monday’s subsequent visit from veterinarian Rochen Heers of Advanced Equine Dentistry.  Although most of the therapy horses were originally donated, they still require not only adequate feed and sheltering, but ongoing training plus medical and preventative health care.  Heers performed four routine dental floats and administered all of the Spring vaccinations for the nine-horse stable.  She then gifted $800 worth of the bill.  Such is the generosity that Spirit Therapies instills in people.

As with most non-profit organizations, there is always more to be done and donations needed for the wish-lists that are never completely fulfilled.  The largest of these wish-list items is a cover for their small arena, so that during the heat of summer the program will not have to cut back its classes.  Donations to date for their “Raise The Roof” project still total less than 10% of the estimated $99K required to build.  For those interested in helping there are several fun upcoming fundraisers for equestrians and non-equestrians alike.  For horse and rider, there will be an overnight charity trailride sponsored by Sandy Valley Ranch on May 21^st-22^nd (click HERE for info).  There is an NPFMA benefit Golf tournament on May 6^th  at Primm Valley Golf Club (click HERE for info).  The “Cars, Stars, & Guitars” Annual Motorhead Festival at the Suncoast on May 6^th & 7^th (click HERE for info) will also benefit Spirit Therapies.  As well, you can visit their website HERE and make a donation directly to the program.  Every “bit” helps! 

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