Click the Picture above for the Party Photo Album

When Friday’s rain clouds parted, the sky opened its windows again to let the sun shine on LifeStriders for another Open House and Volunteer Appreciation Party on Saturday Oct 18th. The morning sponsors, and group, were treated to a horse show given by our Saturday participants and their instructors. No one will soon forget Rinni‘s crowd appreciation, Emily’s elation, Kendall’s and Benjamin’s smiles, Matthew’s curiosity, Casey’s elation, Grace’s poise, and all the riding skills the riders showcased for the judges and community.

The silent auction, and Santo spots raffle were successful and the proceeds will all be used to continue to provide LifeStriders services to the community.

In the afternoon the Wooden Bridges Band kicked off the party with some good old fashioned farm bluegrass, while Kevin DeMaster and his Bible Study Group provided the delicious BBQ to everyone at the party. Dancing, roasting marshmallows, and reminiscing about the year at LifeStriders were the afternoon events of choice. It takes 2-3 volunteers for every rider to ride, and lifeStriders gives over 1200 1 hour lessons/year – you do the math, that’s a lot of volunteers, hours, and generosity that LifeStriders is grateful for.

Somewhere in the middle of all the fun, Veronica gave out the distinguished presidential service awards to an impressive 19 volunteers this year. She also gave out this year’s LifeStriders of the Year awards to two very deserving individuals:

LifeStrider of the Year - Carly Churches - Thank you Carly for your beautiful spirit. It has been a very tough year for you, but your spirit and never give up attitude continue to shine through. We are all behind you and will continue to support you through this difficult time in your life. You are an inspiration to all who know you, and we are very proud of your personal LifeStrides this year.

LifeStriders Volunteer of the Year - Heike Stimson – Many people have helped to take LifeStriders to new heights, but few have put in as much time and effort as Heike (and Sara). LifeStriders recognizes you this year as recipients of this prestigious award, and wishes you success wherever life takes you. Know that you are always welcome here at LifeStriders.

This year LifeStriders had a lot of help with the event, and there are many people to thank for making this such a great party:

The Horse Show - Amanda Rector, Jay Moore, Jessica Morrison and Lori Voecks – With all of your help Amanda and Jay ran an outstanding set of Saturday lessons and horse show that produced smiles on everyone there and became the centerpiece of the event. The two of you have been an incredible addition to LifeStriders, and the organization is consistently getting compliments on your dedicaton, skill, and thoughtful empathetic teaching style.

Event Director - Barb Abair who prepared the Silent Auction and Grounds and provided vision and direction for the entire event.

Board of Directors – Dixon Benz, Barb Abair, Veronica Sosa, Carl Barkow, Rob Conley

The Clean Up and Setup Crew – Becky Manke, Tracee and Jenna Neumann, Kristen Layo, Natalie Lirette, Nicole Sniedinger, Randy Raikes, Bob and Lisa Conley, Nicole Carlin, Jim Carlin, Merrill and Raven Baum and many more! Keeping up a horse farm and preparing the grounds for an event of this size is not a small task and we could not have done it without you.

The Band – The Wooden Bridges Band – Perfect music for the occasion (and one mean polka!)

The Band Sponsor – Brynn and Mawr Lawn Service – Thanks for making the band possible for this event!

The Food – (I am going to miss a couple here because a lot of people brought extra food) Doug Fernal, Kevin DeMaster, Sarah Knowles, Betsy Martel, Sharon Neidinger, Julie Holloway, Lori Narloch, Becky Make, Tracee and Jenna Neumann. The menu for breakfast and lunch was enjoyed by all and LifeStriders is very appreciative to everyone who helped prepare the delicious food that was served during the day.

Parking Grilling and Grounds – Kevin DeMaster, Bob Drida, Dan Sweeny, Ken Vogel, Doug Fernel, and Ken Harland. You all were a godsend and made the event possible. Special thanks go to Kevin DeMaster for organizing his Bible Study Group and to Doug Fernel for his generosity with the food and equipment.

Hostesses – Lynn Wellhausen, Jamie Gierczak, Nicole Carlin, Sara Stimson – Your smiles and availability for questions about LifeStriders helped to inform the community about this incredible organization.

LifeStriders has received a great number of compliments on the event, about the volunteers, the participants, the horses, and about LifeStriders in general. If you attended the event we hope that you enjoyed yourself and got a chance to learn more about what LifeStriders is and what it means to the families it serves. If you would like to learn more or find out how you can help, feel free to contact us anytime.