Journey of the Spirit Horse

Today we held our weekly equine facilitated lessons with 10 girls from Teen Challenge. It was such a blessing when they read their journals to us and B., one of the Teen Challenge girls, wrote this poem in our barn as part of her lesson:

Horse, Horse, they go by
They point their ears to say hi
They may be big & scary to me
But I'm not going to allow them to see me
I may duck and I may hide
But deep down I'm just scared inside
I'm going to give these horses a chance
And in the end I'll walk and new walk and dance a new dance

Stein Mart Charity Days Benefits TiAnViCa

OK, where else can you buy a coupon for $5 and then go to Stein Mart, present the coupon on any purchase over $5 and get your money back in savings? WAIT, there's more. You also get 15% off your purchase!!! Well, that place is TiAnViCa!!!! Give us a call, 863-581-7861 or email us at info@tianvica.org and we'll be more then happy to sell you a coupon. 

100%, yes, I said 100% of the proceeds go to benefit the activities at TiAnViCa Riding Academy - where we provide therapeutic horseback riding activities.

From Stein Marts Website....

What is this?

Stein Mart’s Give & Save Charity Days helps us support local 501(c)(3) nonprofits in our service area. It is designed to bring the community together in a fun and profitable venture that benefits charities and their supporters.

Unlike raffles and sweepstakes, Stein Mart’s Give & Save Charity Days tickets are a win-win proposition! Ticket buyers get valuable Stein Mart coupons worth far more than the cost of their $5 ticket. Participating nonprofits keep every dollar they make on sales to friends, family, supporters and the general public – without paying a penny for printing, distribution or anything else.

Receive $5 off and 15% off your entire purchase.

Each ticket entitles the holder to use these coupons once during the four-day Stein Mart’s Give & Save Charity Days event from September 23 through September 26, 2010. Tickets are good at all Stein Mart stores.

 

100% of the coupon sales goes to TiAnViCa!  This is a great way to help your favorite non profit raise funds!

We'll Be At The Shoppes at Christina on Saturday! Come See Us

Huntington Learning Center at the Shoppes of Christina has dedicated Saturday from 11:00  - 1:00 to TiAnViCa as a community awareness day and friend-raiser for us. We'll be out there with Roxie, our first Therapy horse for everyone to visit, some of our saddles and adaptive equipment, as well as some games and treats.

Come on out at see Max 98.3 Broadcasting live and the Bloodmobile will be there for you to give.

We will have the opportunity for you to buy feed, hay, or other supplies for our special equine partners at TiAnViCa that provide a service second to none to children and adults with disabilities, at-risk teens, and our wounded warriors.

Hope to see you there and thank you for supporting TiAnViCa

Steinmart Charity Days

TiAnViCa Riding Academy, Inc will be participating in Steinmart's Charity Days. This is a great opportunity for you and TiAnViCa.

Stein Mart’s Give & Save Charity Days helps us support local 501(c)(3) nonprofits in our service area. It is designed to bring the community together in a fun and profitable venture that benefits charities and their supporters.

Unlike raffles and sweepstakes, Stein Mart’s Give & Save Charity Days tickets are a win-win proposition! Ticket buyers get valuable Stein Mart coupons worth far more than the cost of their $5 ticket. Participating nonprofits keep every dollar they make on sales to friends, family, supporters and the general public – without paying a penny for printing, distribution or anything else.

For tickets, call Roger at 863-581-7861 or e-mail at info@tianvica.org

TIANVICA STARTS 5TH SEASON AND RECEIVES 3 GRANTS

TIANVICA STARTS 5TH SEASON AND RECEIVES 3 GRANTS

Bartow, FL, August 15, 2010:  TiAnViCa Riding Academy, Inc, a 501(c)3 non-profit therapeutic riding center for disabled children, adults, veterans and at-risk teens is starting its 5^th season at its location at the stables at the Florida Sheriffs Youth Villa.

TiAnViCa is expanding their program and has openings for riders. TiAnViCa also relies heavily on volunteers. For more information contact Roger Meadows at info@tianvica.org or call (863) 581-7861.

TIANVICA RECIEVES 3 GRANTS

The Bartow Kiwanis Club and Florida Kiwanis Foundation provided an $8,000 grant in May to TiAnViCa Riding Academy in Bartow to install a lift that will allow their certified instructors to safely and securely transfer clients from wheelchair to horseback. TiAnViCa Riding Academy provides recreational therapeutic riding for individuals with disabilities. 

Therapeutic horseback riding enables children and adults with disabilities to experience independence during their lessons for perhaps the only part of their day.   Because TiAnViCa emphasizes ability rather than disability, each rider is encouraged to reach their full potential. TiAnViCa combines instruction in traditional horsemanship skills with concepts of physical therapy to improve the strength, balance, and self-esteem for children and adults with physical, mental and emotional disabilities.

In addition, TiAnViCa offers two equine facilitated learning programs that uses horses to teach life and education skills. This program is geared towards at-risk youth but can be customized to adults, youth or children with special needs. TiAnViCa received a grant for almost $2,000 from Heartland for Children to expand their program this year.

TiAnViCa also offers Horses for Heroes. This program honors veterans who have been disabled in service to their country and provides therapeutic riding sessions at no charge. TiAnViCa recieived a $30,000 grant from the George W. Jenkins Fund within the Community Foundation of Greater Lakeland to provide this program free of charge to our wounded warriors.  

The Bartow Kiwanis Club presented the check for the lift at its May 28 club meeting to TiAnViCa co-founders Roger and Sara Meadows along with TiAnViCa clients and volunteers. 

Meadows shared the history of TiAnViCa Riding Academy its future plans for expansion.  TiAnViCa was an idea Roger and Sara had over 7 years ago after experiencing how being on horseback changed the life of a little boy, Micah, who has Cerebral Palsy and a brain injury.  “When we saw his mom in tears, and the smiling and laughing from Micah as he rode for the first time, Sara and I knew we had to find a way to help other children with disabilities,” Meadows said.  Starting with just two children, the program quickly grew to 15 clients receiving therapy twice a week.  With more and more clients and volunteers wanting to be involved, TiAnViCa relocated in 2009 to Bartow at the Sheriff’s Youth Villa.  TiAnViCa now works with over 20 individuals with disabilities a week in our therapeutic riding program; 12 girls a week from the youth villa who learn not only how to ride a horse but about responsibility, teamwork and respect; and 16 children a week from the Florida Baptists Children Home in our Equine Facilitated Learning Program.

Future goals for TiAnViCa Riding Academy include expansion to 40 children in the therapeutic riding program.  “This lift will help us serve those we may have not been able to transfer to horseback and help us achieve this. Ultimately, we want to make TiAnViCa a full time program, running 6 days a week and serve as many of the 10,000 plus children in Polk County under age 20 with disabilities as we possibly can,” Meadows said.  “A lift may just be a physical piece of equipment but for TiAnViCa it represents the commitment the Bartow Kiwanis has to helping the community and those in need,” he said. In addition to the grant, Bartow Lowes has provided all the material to build a new mounting ramp and frame for the lift. TiAnViCa has also received support from numerous individuals and companies including, Disney, Mosaic, and Lane Construction.

PICTURED (L to R)   Brian Knowles - Kiwanis Div. 15 Lt. Gov., Charlie Braihland - TiAnViCa Volunteer, Client Megan Crisler (seated), Donna Orr - TiAnViCa Instructor/Incoming President, Sara Meadows – TiAnViCa Co-founder, John Bohde – Bartow Kiwanis President, Tim Hart, Kiwanis Div. 15 Trustee, Roger Meadows - TiAnViCa Co-founder. 

How To Help

TiAnViCa relies on the community for support. TiAnViCa has never turned down a participant due to finances and hope they never have to. For more information on how to give to TiAnViCa or to volunteer call Roger at (863) 581-7861 or info@tianvica.org

TiAnViCa also holds multiple fundraisers throughout the year. Huntington Learning Center with the Shoppes of Christina (6655 S. Florida Av) will be hosting a fundraising event on Saturday, August 21^st from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm with Max 98.3 broadcasting live. They will also be having an open house on October 21^st at the barn and their annual Cowboy Up For Kids Kentucky Derby Party in May.