You already know how much our big Quarterhorse buddy Rocky loves his buddies. Well he’s just as enthusiastic about having fun, so when he asked if we could combine the two and share the great news about Walking for Dreams 2013, we said, “Go for it Rocky!”

Rocky posted his first-ever quiz on the TherAplay Facebook page on Monday.

From Rocky: Who wants to play a game with me? You do? Oh good! In that case, (wo)man your buzzers, because I have a fun quiz for you.

Here goes: We at TherAplay have some AWESOME friends and supporters. Which dollar amount below is closest to the amount of money our friends and supporters helped us raise for TherAplay through Walking for Dreams 2013?

P.s.: There is a special prize for the person who guesses correctly!

• $13,000
• $15,250
• $16,500

  

Did you guess the correct answer?

We sent out the call for help and you answered! Through Walking for Dreams 2013, your support and enthusiasm raised more than $16,500 for The Children’s TherAplay Foundation, Inc. and will go towards much-needed programs and services for our special needs kiddos.

Who was the winner and what was the prize?

A winner was drawn at random from our friends who were guessed the correct answer, and the winner is… Evan B.!

We’ll let Rocky take over from here.

A word from Rocky, our game host and equine ambassador

Hi everybody! Thanks so much for playing along with me and, Evan B., congratulations on your big win!

I’m excited to say that you have earned TherAplay’s first-ever virtual horsey treat. That means that you have the singular honor of choosing a treat (carrot, apple, or peppermint) for any one of our hardworking therapy horses.

Evan, just let us know, through our Facebook page or in the comments section below, (a) which horse you’d like to receive a special just-from-Evan snackeroo, and (b) which treat you’d like to share, and I will make sure it is sent, special delivery, back to the barn along with a note that it’s from you.

Some final words of thanks

We’re sending out some significant thank-you’s to everyone who participated in Walking for Dreams. We’re especially thankful for the 71 walkers who joined us for a leisurely stroll along the canal. You wear the TherAplay green t-shirts well!

And speaking of TherAplay t-shirts, we’d like to thank our generous t-shirt sponsors:

You might also enjoy…

• PHOTO GALLERY: Scenes from the sea of green (TherAplay t-shirts) at Walking for Dreams 2013
• TherAplay kiddo Olivia is on a roll!
• It’s coming: TherAplay’s 11th annual Hoe-Down and Wild West Casino
• From our equine ambassador Rocky: The results are in for Trotting for Dreams!
• With two new two new therapists, TherAplay has openings for PT and OT patients
• From our equine ambassador Rocky: Guess who just had a BIG birthday!
• If These Tools Could Talk

We at TherAplay are blessed to be able to contribute to and witness so many big firsts in our kiddos’ lives. We’ve been a part of first steps, first words, and first jumps, just to name a few. And not too long ago we were able to share another big first, this time with Olivia.

During her initial evaluation at TherAplay Olivia’s parents expressed hope that, among other goals, someday Olivia might be able to participate in and enjoy age-appropriate activities. In particular they mentioned riding a tricycle on family outings. But Olivia had a long way to go before she could sit upright unassisted on a tricycle for more than a very short time, let alone pedal it herself.

During 14 months of pediatric physical and occupational therapies at TherAplay, Olivia has made incredible gains and one of them is captured in the video below.

We invite you to celebrate with Olivia and her family – if you turn the volume all the way up you may be able to hear them shouting encouragement and applauding – as she rides a tricycle all by herself for the very first time. 

Way to go Olivia! 

You might also enjoy…

Guess who’s making tracks in the Tony Stewart Foundation newsletter!

 We’d like to say thank you

 From our equine ambassador Rocky: Guess who just had a BIG birthday!

 United Way Day of Caring 2012 Cleans Up

Hi everyone! I have some exciting results. I know you all remember how, while you humans (and dogs I hear!) were Walking for Dreams, me and my horse friends were out in the TherAplay pasture Trotting for Dreams. We’d been putting in some extra training for the event and I’m proud to say that all nine of us completed the trot in fine form. (In fact, some of us got a little carried away and turned it into Cantering for Dreams!)

One of the TherAplay horses earned a victory lap

You may recall that we horses decided to keep things interesting by hosting a little competition to see which of us could raise the most funds to help our kiddos. (We even came up with a special prize for the winner.)

Well the results are in!

First I’d like to thank all of our horses for participating and I’d like to congratulate them on their hard work. Would you believe we raised more than $200? That’s what we call horsepower. Well done everyone!

And the winner is…

Our very own Nikkleen! That’s right, lead mare Nikki earned a victory lap for raising $75 in support of our kiddos.

Please join me in congratulating her. We’ll be sure to tell you all about her special day of pampering, which she won for raising the most funds of all the horses.

Way to go Nikki! 

There’s more coming

My human friends are working on a special blog post with their results for Walking for Dreams, and I hear there’s a photo album coming soon to our Facebook page. Stay posted!

Hi everyone!

Hello friends!

Thanks for reading my blog today. It’s one that will allow me and my horse friends help our kiddos even more, so it’s especially close to my heart.

As you know, we TherAplay horses are all about the kiddos. Whether we’re helping them get stronger through physical or occupational therapy sessions, performing equine calisthenics to stay in tip-top condition for therapy, or shining ourselves up so we look our best for the kiddos, the children TherAplay serves are always in our hearts and on our minds.

The TherAplay horses spring into action

That’s why, after hearing the TherAplay staff and families talk about how the Walking For Dreams 5K Family and Pet Walk raises funds to help our kiddos, we were inspired to spring into equine action!

We are absolutely delighted to introduce you to the two new pediatric occupational therapists who are helping TherAplay’s kiddos get stronger: Abigail and Jessica.

While Abigail is completely new to TherAplay, some of you may recognize Jessica from her clinical rotation last year.

With the addition of pediatric physical therapist Sam in 2012 and Abigail and Jessica more recently, we have room for new patients.

Do you know of a child who would benefit from treatment at TherAplay? 

We’ve made it even easier for new patients to get started!

Many times families contact us wondering if TherAplay is a good fit for their child and how they can get started. That’s why we created the Getting Started webpage. On it, visitors can:

• Learn about the parameters of our program
• Find the answers to commonly asked questions
• Download the patient referral form and TherAplay policies
• Walk through the three steps to referring a child for services at TherAplay 

And with our two new pediatric therapists, now's a great time to put that page to use! Visit our Getting Started page here.

The Children’s TherAplay Foundation, Inc. exists for special needs children and their families but it exists because of our dedicated team of staff, volunteers, families, and supporters.

While each therapy session costs TherAplay $200, insurance generally pays less than half the cost, leaving a significant amount of money which must be made up for in other ways. You can see why community involvement is so vital to TherAplay and the children we serve.

Meet a company with heart

That’s why, each time the work crew from J.C. Hart Co. has walked into TherAplay over the past two years, there has been an audible sigh of relief heard throughout our clinic and barn. Our sprinkler system, pipes, filters, and spigots have all been on the receiving end of the Hart team’s expertise.

This April, for example, they gave our sprinkler system a much-needed spa treatment, removing, flushing, and cleaning every single sprinkler head in our enormous indoor arena. That’s a huge job, made even more impressive by the fact that all those sprinkler heads are 25 feet off the ground!

And J.C. Hart’s in-kind contribution adds up for TherAplay in dollars and cents as well. The generous donation of their time and talent means TherAplay is able to save much-needed funds and apply them to other parts of the program.

Three questions for J.C. Hart

TherAplay: Why does J.C. Hart choose to volunteer?

J.C. Hart: Volunteering is what makes our communities work. Whether it’s in your schools, your churches, or even putting on the Super Bowl, all civic organizations run with assistance from their volunteers. It is an opportunity to feel a part of something larger than yourself and to connect with other people – sometimes they are like minded, sometimes they are very different from yourself, but it’s still a human connection that makes you feel alive and that you’re making a difference in the world.

TherAplay: How did J.C. Hart get connected with TherAplay?

J.C. Hart: A few years ago, Ellen Annela, then CEO and President of United Way of Central Indiana, approached John Hart, the President and owner of J.C. Hart Co., to ask if he would become a contributor to United Way. John enthusiastically said yes and began encouraging the associates of J.C. Hart Company to also support United Way.

To introduce us to some of the many ways that United Way agencies serve their clients, United Way met a committee of J.C. Hart associates at Children’s TherAplay to tour the facilities and see firsthand some of the amazing work they do. The committee was blown away. We ended up having a very successful first United Way campaign and it all started with that tour of TherAplay!

TherAplay: What do you enjoy most about volunteering at TherAplay?

J.C. Hart: When you learn about the countless stories of how TherAplay has positively impacted the lives of children with Autism, Downs Syndrome and other developmental conditions, it makes you feel good knowing you’ve helped the people who are directly helping these children make these positive strides every day. That’s a pretty special feeling.

Have you ever received an unexpected phone call that warmed your heart? We had that experience recently when the Town of Fishers G.I.V.E. Committee called to see if we would allow them to raise funds and in-kind contributions on our behalf. Would we ever!

Starting this Friday and running through July, G.I.V.E. will be collecting donations for TherAplay at various Town of Fishers events. All of them are free and fun for the whole family.

From Rocky

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be able to talk with you today, especially since this post is about one of my equine buddies here at TherAplay.You’ve seen most of my fellow horse friends at TherAplay carrying our special needs kiddos with great love and gentleness. Their work, partnering with our therapists and handlers through a therapeutic tool called hippotherapy, brings them out into the arena where everyone can see their contribution.

But there is one very special member of the TherAplay equine family who gives his gifts outside the spotlight. That’s my friend Pepsi.

Introducing the birthday boy

Pepsi is a Morgan horse who just turned 30 years old! He started out pulling carts but all that changed when he met his best friend Sherry on Valentine’s Day 1992 and learned how much fun horse shows could be. Once Pepsi and Sherry discovered they had a talent for eventing, dressage, and hunter/jumper competitions, they never looked back.

You might enjoy these related blog posts

• From our Equine Ambassador Zippy: My Gift
• Our First-Annual Equine Thanksgiving Round-Up Featuring…
  Rocky and Nikki | Gideon and FairyTale | Cinnamon and Padre | Zippy and Pepsi | Moe and Tiger | (Rocky) Wrapping Up the Equine Thanksgiving Round-Up

• (Rocky) TherAplay’s Fall Festival Horsetravaganza | (Rocky) And the Bag of Carrots Goes to…
• (Rocky) The Equine Staff’s Suggestions for the Hoe-Down Menu (Part 1) | (Part 2)
• If These Tools – or Toys, Depending Upon Who You Ask – Could Talk

And be sure to join me and my friends on the TherAplay Facebook page too!

We are excitedly gearing up for the 2013 Walking for Dreams 5K Family and Pet Walk. Last year we raised more than $13,000 and won the award for having the most walkers, surpassing over 40 other not-for-profit organizations! Though we couldn’t be prouder of this endeavor, in true TherAplay fashion, we want to do even better this year! 

Please come out and support TherAplay by asking friends and family to pledge you on your walk. Below are some helpful tips for our walkers.

Six Steps to Walking for Dreams Success

1. Set your goal. Try for at least $100 or more!

2. Register on the website www.walkingfordreams.org to receive info and updates.

3. Ask family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors for their support. You can suggest a flat donation of $10, $20, or more.

4. Collect your pledge money when you ask for it.

5. Bring your pledge money to the walk or if you are unable to attend, you may mail pledges to TherAplay, drop them off at TherAplay, or submit pledges online at www.walkingfordreams.org.  

6. Celebrate! You are helping TherAplay families!  

Don't have time to walk, but want to help?

Be a sponsor!!!

Sponsoring is truly a win-win-win. The donation is tax-deductible; your company gets great recognition on t-shirts seen by thousands of people; and, most importantly, you’re supporting an amazing cause!

If you would like more information, please feel free to contact Breinne
at (317) 872-4166 or at blasley@childrenstheraplay.org and/or visit www.walkingfordreams.org.   

TherAplay and Catalina!

We’re sending out a great big THANK-YOU to the Tony Stewart Foundation. In 2010 they awarded TherAplay a very generous grant for new footing in our arena to help our horses continue to perform their valuable work with sure-footedness.  And now, through their newsletter, they’ve introduced TherAplay – and Catalina! – to their supporters across the country. Wow!

Of course we’d love for you to meet Catalina too. Click here to learn about her big jump forward.

Remember last month when we put the Energizing Indiana donation program to the test with TherAplay’s resident queen of green – both in saving energy and money – and Administrative Manager and Volunteer Coordinator Breinne Lasley?

Well, the results are in!

How much money did she save on her home’s power bills?

Vectren Gas bill:           decreased by $16

Duke Energy bill:          decreased by $6

You may have noticed that that we at TherAplay do a lot of asking: asking for volunteers, asking for your donations, asking for your participation and your time.

Have you ever wondered why?

It’s because we know that every hour that is volunteered, every in-kind service that is provided, every donation that is made means more choices for special needs children here in Central Indiana.

Those of us at TherAplay see the positive strides forward these kiddos take when they come for therapy each week. But we realize you might not have that same opportunity. That’s why we want to share something special with you – this video.

We at TherAplay would like to put in writing, right here on the page, what is always, always in our hearts: Thank you. Because of your generosity, your gifts, your time, your support, we are able to continue doing what we do best, helping special needs kiddos get stronger. Thank you.

You might also enjoy these links and blog posts from TherAplay:

Meet our kiddos
 

 With $25,000 we all win!

From our Equine Ambassador Zippy: My Gift
 

We’re Giving Thanks for Cornerstone Autism Foundation and Their Grant for Our Therapeutic Listening Program!

Matthew and Troop 120 Soar Like Eagles!

Hoe-Down 2012: Together We Did It!

We at TherAplay are so very excited about the Energizing Indiana FREE home energy assessments.

Not only can TherAplay receive up to $25,000 in donations from Energizing Indiana – and that $25,000 will go a long way towards helping our kiddos! – but everyone who participates receives lots of free goodies as well as expert advice on how to increase their home’s energy efficiency and lower their energy bills!

Still, we were curious. What would someone from the TherAplay team have to say about the experience?

Enter Breinne Lasley, TherAplay’s Administrative Manager and Volunteer Coordinator and one of the first to register for the program. What you might not know about Bre is that she is both “green” and thrifty, so she was an excellent test case. Would she learn anything new from her energy assessment, or would the experts simply be providing basic information?

Here’s what Bre shared about her Energizing Indiana home energy assessment.

“It was a win-win experience. Not only did TherAplay receive $25, but I got free tips on how to lower my utility bills and prolong the life of my furnace and air-conditioning units. The tips the energy advisor offered ranged from the obvious (insulating and caulking) to cheap and clever.

“My favorite advice was for our unused fireplace, which is extremely drafty. To significantly cut down the cold air coming in, the advisor told me to fill a plastic grocery bag full of other plastic grocery bags, tie the first bag shut with a string, then stuff the filled bag in the chimney flue with the string hanging down. If we ever do need to use the fireplace, we can just pull on the string to remove the bags.

“The advisor also raised a great point about resale value for our home. Potential buyers also look at utility costs, so these energy saving measures will help increase the value of our home when we decide to sell it.

“And of course, the environment is important to me, so it is nice to know I’m doing my part to reduce my family’s carbon footprint.”

And the verdict?

Between the FREE new-to-Bre expert energy saving advice; FREE energy savings kit with two faucet aerators, two low-flow shower heads, and nine compact fluorescent light bulbs; and $25 donation to TherAplay, we have a winner on our hands!

Ready to schedule your home energy assessment? Start here!

We are delighted to announce the arrival of 

Samantha Lynn Boyle

Born Sunday, 2/17 at 5:49 p.m. • Weight: 8.5 lbs • Length: 21.5 inches

Congratulations to Shani Sutton and Rich Boyle!

TherAplay has some very exciting news to share!

Thanks to an incentive from Energizing Indiana, we have the opportunity to receive $25,000 in donations to The Children’s TherAplay Foundation, Inc.

We need your help to receive the full amount of the donations. Fortunately, it’s easy to help!

For every FREE home energy assessment that is completed, Energizing Indiana will make a $25 donation to the TherAplay, up to a total of $25,000.

PAPER: For a paper version, fill out the TherAplay Energy Assessment Sign-Up Sheet and return it to TherAplay or fax it to (317) 664-8205.

What do we love about this opportunity? Everyone wins!

• The home energy assessment helps you lower your energy bills and increase your home’s value. In addition, the energy advisors from Energizing Indiana may …
  • Replace up to nine traditional incandescent bulbs with efficient CFLs. 
  • Install up to three low-flow faucet aerators.
  • Install up to two low-flow shower heads.
  • Wrap your hot water heater (on electric heaters only).
• Once your energy assessment is complete, TherAplay receives $25.
• Energizing Indiana is able to continue with their mission of providing education, tools and incentives to improve efficiency and conserve energy across the state.

Just think of how far $25,000 could go towards helping our kiddos! And how much you could save on your energy bills!

The Action Center on our website has everything you need to help ensure TherAplay receives the full $25,000. Click here to get started!

Sad but true...

TherAplay has an immediate opening for the Equine Program Manager. Our AMAZING Equine Program Manager, Shani Sutton, will not be coming back after she has her baby. We are going to miss her tremendously, but we are so excited for her, and wish her nothing but the best with this new chapter in her life.

If you, or anyone you know, may be interested, please check out the below job description to learn about requirements and qualifications.

General Function: The Equine Program Manager is responsible for managing all aspects of the equine portion of TherAplay operations including ensuring timely, quality equine use during therapy sessions; recruiting, hiring & managing personnel; recruiting, training & managing horses; ensuring the health & well-being of horses; maintaining all horse related portions of the facility; participating in & supporting TherAplay special events & outreach efforts.

Education/Experience:

Candidate must have a strong, proven working knowledge of equine behavior, training & care.

Experience with managing geriatric horses is preferred.

Experience with managing key aspects of an equestrian operation is preferred.

Supervisory experience is preferred.

An Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university with a major in equine science, equestrian business management, animal science or a closely related field OR related experience is required.

Certifications: Completion of Level II Equine Skills Workshop through the American Hippotherapy Association is preferred. Email or mail your CV and cover letter to: Lisa Kobek, lkobek@childrenstheraplay.org or The Children’s TherAplay Foundation, Inc. 9919 Towne Road Carmel, IN 46032

Yes, your therapy dreams have come true – there’s another physical therapist here at TherAplay. Please help us welcome Sam Duttlinger!

[Applause.]

Sam has all of us - kiddos and staff alike - smiling with her sunny disposition, which we especially appreciate during the overcast days that mark mid-winter here in Indiana. We're tickled pink to have her here with us.

Learn more about Sam here.

Rocky is generally the equine eyes and ears of Children's TherAplay, but today we have a different spokeshorse. Zippy is one of the smallest of our equine staff. Although he generally keeps low profile here at TherAplay, his sweet steadiness is evident to everyone he encounters.

Today, in honor of the holiday season, Zippy asked if he could share a few words. In keeping with his stature, Zippy’s post is short and sweet.

From Zippy

We give away gifts every day at TherAplay.

For example, today I was helping a child who isn't able to sit up on his own yet. But my therapist friends and I - and a special back brace during hippotherapy - are helping him get stronger.

There are other gifts we give too, gifts like patience and hope and steadiness and possibilities.

And the special gift I give is love. It is not a loud kind of love that stands up and shouts “I am here!” but the gentle love of a friend holding your hand. This is the gift I give away during each session and I know that, even though it is unspoken, it is still received.

These are not the kinds of gifts you can wrap up or put a bow around, but they are my favorite kind of gift to give.

This week we’re giving our horse friends the opportunity to share what they’re thankful for. Be sure to watch for a special message from each of our ten therapy horses.

Zippy

I’m thankful for all the people who have given their time and best wishes and, most importantly, have given from their hearts so that TherAplay can continue to be here serving kiddos and their families.

Pepsi

Pepsi is one of our therapy horses who served our kiddos gently and joyfully for many years. When the time came for this senior statesman to retire, his mom asked if Pepsi could please stay where he’s happiest, right here at TherAplay, as a boarder. We’re tickled to have our buddy hang out with us while he’s visiting with the kiddos and overseeing the barn operations.

I’m thankful that at 29 years old I’m still feeling good and get to visit with the kiddos and my barn friends. I’m also thankful that TherAplay found room in the barn for an old friend, even though he’s retired, just because they know it makes me happy to be here in this place that means so much to me.

Want to learn more about our equine staff? Click here.

This Thanksgiving we’ve given our horse friends the opportunity to share what they’re thankful for. Rocky’s post wraps up a week of special messages from each of our ten therapy horses.

Rocky

I’m thankful for all of you and I especially appreciate the chance to talk with you each week through our blog and Facebook page! I get so excited to send out my Internet letters because I know that soon I’ll be connecting with another friend. It’s like a hug with each click!

Thanks everybody for joining me and my buddies to celebrate Thanksgiving. We hope that you and your loves ones shared a heartfelt and tasty holiday!

You’ve heard what we’re grateful for. Now it’s your turn. What are you thankful for?

This week we’re giving our horse friends the opportunity to share what they’re thankful for. Be sure to watch for a special message from each of our ten therapy horses.

Gideon

I’m thankful for all my friends who found a way to donate a few extra dollars each month. Thanks to these folks, my buddies and I have had full bellies even though the price of hay was so high this year.

FairyTale

I’m thankful for the Fall Festival Horsestravaganza costume contest. While it was fun to play with the other horses (and win the contest with “The P”) it was even more fun to meet new friends and be able to talk with all of you through the blog and Facebook page!

Want to learn more about our equine staff? Click here.

Our First-Annual Equine Thanksgiving Round-Up Featuring Cinnamon and Padre

This week we’re giving our horse friends the opportunity to share what they’re thankful for. Be sure to watch for a special message from each of our ten therapy horses.

Cinnamon

I’m thankful that at this year’s Hoe-Down 22 different people donated amounts ranging from $2,500 to $50 to make sure I have a warm stall and full belly so I can do my best work here at TherAplay. It’s like having my own extended family, the Big Cinnamon Family! Thanks guys!

Padre

At first I was a little bit nervous about moving to TherAplay because it was so different from my previous homes. But now I can say how thankful I am that I’m able to live and work at TherAplay. I have whole new family of horses and humans and lots of kiddos because of it!

Want to learn more about our equine staff? Click here.

This week we’re giving our horse friends the opportunity to share what they’re thankful for. Be sure to watch for a special message from each of our ten therapy horses.

Moe

I’m thankful for our most successful Hoe-Down to date! Because of you, we’re able to continue helping the kiddos and families we care so much about!

Tiger

Hi everyone. Thanks for joining all of us at the barn to share in our thanks-giving.

I’m thankful for this very special place where my horse friends and I can partner with our human friends to help special kiddos do their very best. That’s exceptionally rare in this world, which makes us appreciate it even more.

Want to learn more about our equine staff? Click here.

I love all the holidays but Thanksgiving has an extra special place in my heart. There’s something wonderful about the way our kiddos talk about it. Their eyes get big when they tell me about the wonderful sights and smells and tastes that are part of their families’ traditions.

I especially enjoy hearing about how so many of our kiddos and their families take a moment to share what they’re thankful for. In fact, it’s a tradition we horses have adopted here at the barn.

In the past, we haven’t really had a way to share our thanks with you but this blog has opened up a whole new world for us!

Each day for the next week we’ll post a note – some will be short, others longer – from one of my equine friends and that horse will have a chance to share what he or she is thankful for.

We’re not able to sit around the table, hold hands, and share our thanks in person with you this Thanksgiving, but we hope that our words will find their way across the blogosphere and into your heart this holiday season.

With that being said, I’d like to pass the keyboard to my good friend Nikki.

Nikki

I’m very thankful that I’ve fully recovered and am feeling so much better. The surgery and recovery period were pretty tough but even through all of that I could feel you cheering me on. That was pretty special and it fills my heart just thinking about it.

Many of you even pitched in to help fund my treatment. That’s something I’ll always be grateful for too. Thank you.

And I know I say this one every year, but I’m going to say it again because it’s true! I’m thankful to be here with my family doing what we do best: helping the kiddos.

Thank you all. And I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you are!

Nikki

We are blessed to have some of the best physical and occupational therapists on the planet. They’re always on the lookout for new ways to help our kiddos achieve their goals.

For instance once our therapists found out about therapeutic listening, there was no holding them back. Quicker than Gideon can gobble a carrot, they were fully trained and applying this new modality at TherAplay with great success.

We aren’t the only ones who were excited about our kiddos’ successes. Last week David Ide, Co-Founder of Cornerstone Autism Foundation, stopped by with a very special gift: a $1,000 check to fund equipment for our therapeutic listening program and lending library.

Thanks to David and Cornerstone Autism, we’ll be able to expand our therapeutic listening offerings so even more kiddos and their families can benefit from this innovative therapy.

Thank you David and thank you Cornerstone Autism Foundation!

Oh boy! The votes from our Fall Festival Horsetravaganza have been tallied and we’re ready to announce the winner of one very sought-after bag of carrots.

But first things first. How about a round of applause for all of our contestants, both equine and human? Well done everybody! You did a great job! (Neigh! Stomp, stomp, stomp! Whinny!)

And we’re also sending out a big thank-you to all our buddies who visited us on our blog, enjoyed our photo album, and cheered us on through our Facebook page. We had such a great time watching your votes come in and visiting with you. It made the contest extra fun. Thanks!   

So who has carrot breath won?

Did Laura, Tiger, and Padre have a hit with “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”?

How about Olya and Gideon? Is that a congratulatory kiss?

What about your two favorite pirates, me and Jaime? Does this photo capture an inquisitive sniff or is that a victory nibble?

And then there are the P’s, as in “Princess and the....”

Hmmm…

That may be a look of shock on Jen’s face but FairyTale seems to be saying, “I knew we had it in the (feed)bag the whole time.”

Congratulations FairyTale and Jen! You did it!

Now would someone please pass the carrots?

P.S.: There were so many fun photos from the costume contest and we just knew you’d want to see them. So hop on out to our Facebook photo album and enjoy!

There’s something wonderful about partnering with therapy interns. It’s so exciting to see them as they work with the therapists to put into practice what they learned in class. But at the same time, there’s a definite downside: we miss our new friends when they leave! (Sniff!)

Which brings me to my most recent favorite clinical intern, Laura. (I know, by the end of their rotation, they’re all my favorites. That’s okay. I have room in my heart for lots of people.)

Laura has been with us on her clinical rotation for twelve whole weeks, working under the supervision of our occupational therapists to help our kiddos in their treatment. And she's done a great job. You can tell by the smiles on our kiddos’ faces!

It’s downright tough to see her go, but I’ll just keep reminding myself that this is a very exciting time for Laura. Very soon she’ll be graduating with her master’s degree in occupational therapy and sitting for her board exams. And she’s so talented that I know someone will snap her right up to work in their clinic.

So I’ve decided I’m not going to feel sad. No! Instead I’m going to turn that frown upside-down and cheer: GO LAURA GO!

Thank you so much for helping me and all our friends and families at TherAplay, Laura! We know you have a bright future in store. Congratulations!

Yes, there’s another new member of the TherAplay family!

It is with joy that we announce the arrival of

Abram Oscar Lasley

Born Sunday, 11/4 at 6:27 p.m.

Weight: 7.5 lbs

Length: 21 inches

Congratulations

Breinne and Josh Lasley!

You’ve heard of humans dressing up in horse costumes, but what costumes do horses wear? Find out through our TherAplay Fall Festival Horsetravaganza!

Since I am a gentleman, I’ll introduce my fellow contestants first, but – and this is very important – please know that this is serious business. Each equine entrant gets a carrot but the grand prize winner of the costume contest gets a whole bag of carrots! (No word yet on what percentage of the bag will go to the humans.)

OUR CONTESTANTS

The Princess and the P: FairyTale with physical therapist Jen

When’s the last time you saw a costume that was glamorous and funny at the same time? Look no further. I proudly present to you our very own Princess and the P!

We knew FairyTale was a princess – she reminds us all the time! – but Jen really brought out her inner sparkle, all the way from the tip of her custom made crown to her princess pink toes. And in case you couldn’t tell, FairyTale is loving it! In fact, she has suggested that she wear this every day. And Jen is rocking that P. Great job Jen and Fairy!

Pumpkin Patch: Gideon and occupational therapist Olya

I must say I find this to be a very clever costume. It has an autumn theme and a game all rolled into one. Olya and Gideon are a pumpkin patch – see the colorful leaves and the pumpkin? – but I can’t find my pony friend because he’s being funny and playing a game of “Where’s Gideon?” You can see Pumpkin Olya but if you want to find Gideon you’ll have to look really hard. He’s a good hider!

I don’t’ know if it will work in a photo, but in the pasture all you have to do is yell, “Who wants a treat?” and Gideon will come running. This works with the rest of us too and we’ll be happy to demonstrate – just remember to bring the treats!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame: Tiger, Padre, and our student occupational therapist Laura

You might not be aware of this, but we at TherAplay are big fans of major league baseball, especially when it comes to Detroit and San Diego. Wondering why?

Wait for it….

Because, as Laura and our boys so clearly demonstrate, those teams are the TIGERs and the PADREs!!! Thanks to Laura and our home run horses for making this clear for all to see.

And even though only the Tigers made it to the World Series – better luck next year Padres – we’re all on the same team here. The C on their caps is for Children’s TherAplay. Go team!

Pirates: Yours truly with occupational therapist Jaime

In case you couldn’t tell, I am the Rocky, swashbuckling Captain of the TherAplay Seas, and this is my first mate Jaime.

I thought Jaime outfitted me as a pirate because of my adventuresome spirit – did I mention that I used to be a barrel racer? – but she says it was something completely different. Apparently it hasn’t gone unnoticed that I’m a smooth character with the ladies and have even been known to swagger a bit in the presence of females. And I thought I was being subtle!

NOW FOR THE IMPORTANT PART: CARROTS VOTING!

As I mentioned earlier, there are carrots at stake, so please remember to vote. Here’s how:

• Click the link to the VOTE HERE! Fall Festival Horsetravaganza photo album on our Facebook page.
• Enjoy the photos of my friends in their fall costumes.
• As you look through the photos, if you see one that really speaks to you, click the Like button next to that photo. That counts as one vote!

You can invite your Facebook friends to vote too! After all, the more votes there are, the better the chance that I will win a whole bag of carrots the more fun we’ll have!

• At the bottom of the album page, click Share.
• Then, in the box that pops up, enter “Vote for Rocky your favorite costume!”
• Click Share Album.

A few important notes

• You can vote for as many horses as you like. Heck, my friends look so great in their costumes that I just may have to click Like for all of them!
• Feel free to cheer on your horse friends by leaving a note of encouragement under their picture. 
• The official voting period ends at noon on Monday, November 5, so vote soon!
• And more photos are on the way. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for lots of fun pictures of me and my friends.

We can't thank Matthew Van Hoose and Troop 120 enough for the amazing job they did giving our playground a magnificent facelift. Check out the before and afters;

Matthew, working toward his Eagle Scout rank, raised the money to pay for the fresh paint, construction supplies and new mulch (however, Tiffany's Lawn was kind enough to donate the mulch!! Thank you Tiffany's!) Matthew also designed and built a super cool bench that will seat many TherAplay families to come. 

Matthew and his family came after school for a week straight to do all the prep work and then when it was time to execute, the whole troop came out and lent a hand.

We are so grateful to all the hard work and dedication shown by Matthew. He took on this project and implemented it with such stunning results!  The countless kiddos that will play on this playground for years to come are forever grateful!

Yee-ha! You folks sure know how to put the giddy in giddy-up, because giddy is what we are. Want to know why?

Because the 2012 Hoe-Down was our most successful TherAplay fundraiser to date!

That’s right, thanks to a lot of help from you and 400+ attendees, we were able to raise more than $215,000! Those funds will do everything from turn on the lights in the clinic and pay our therapists’ salaries to purchase top-notch therapeutic equipment for our kiddos and food for our horses.

Thank you again! And again!

And one more time for good measure: THANK YOU!!!

Here’s the wrap-up of the equine notes to the Hoe-Down committees below. As you can see, we horses are not only good-looking, we have also got some serious smarts!

2008: Great call on adding extra carrots to the hors d’oeuvres table last year. We were so glad our guests were happy to share their carrot sticks with us enjoyed the veggies! This year we have an idea we know is going to wow you. Two words: carrot cake (emphasis on the carrot).

2009: To our human friends: We think it’s wonderful that Craig recycles all of our manure by taking it to a place that turns it into compost, and we horses want to do our part to help Mother Earth too! To that end, we have found an ingenious way to reduce the amount of water used to wash up after the Hoe-Down. This year we horses will be licking the serving utensils and platters clean. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

2010: Hey folks! Something we’ve noticed in our personal lives that really makes the difference between Average and Extraordinary is fresh breath. And by that we mean minty breath. And by that we mean horses love mints. So how about we hand out dinner mints to all our guests? As usual, we horses are all eagerness to eat each and every last mint before you can blink twice help, so please count on us to sweet-talk the guests into feeding us their mints give out mints to our guests.

2011: We don’t know about you humans, but we thought the humans had exceptionally nice breath by the end of the event last year. Naturally we horses have put our heads together and come up with a show-stopper for this year! Crème de menthe martinis for our wild martini bar! P.s.: If you need help testing the recipe, we will be happy to keep tasting those mint martinis one after another until the recipe is just right! We want only the best for our guests!

2012: We heard that Rocky nearly got a taste of an apple martini from a guest at the Hoe-Down last year know you can always use more volunteers, so we have called for a vote and are pleased to say the horses have come to a unanimous decision: we will be happy to move the Wild West Martini Bar into the barn and staff it for you. By the way, we noticed the apple martinis are especially popular with Rocky the guests, so we’re thinking the rest of us would like a chance to taste them as well it would be a good idea to make sure we have three times as many apples this year – oh, and the little frou-frou umbrellas too. Those would look awesome in our manes! You know we’re always looking out for you humans!
 

Then check out this new video about TherAplay and the Hoe-Down from our friends at Local Lisa!

While our primary role at TherAplay will always be helping the kiddos through hippotherapy, we horses contribute in more ways than you’d expect. Here’s an example of the equine contributions to the Hoe-Down over the years.

If you’ve enjoyed the tastiness that is the buffet at the Hoe-Down, you can tell that sometimes our human friends listen to our suggestions and other times they don’t seem to understand, but that doesn’t stop us from cranking out one great food-related idea after another!

2003: Hey that Hoe-Down thing was really fun last year. How about this year we make some adjustments to the menu? We think it would go over really well if you added more apples.

2004: Hello human friends! Thank you for giving each horse each an apple last year. Although it was less than what we originally had in mind, it was a great start. This year we’re thinking our guests would just love it if we added more apples to the dessert bar. You know, apple strudel, apple pie, apple sauce, caramel apples. We’ll be excited to see what you come up with!

2005: We’re with you 100%. Cookies are an excellent thing. We like them too (although we didn’t get any) and they seemed to be a hit with our guests last year. Perhaps this year we could also add some horsey cookies to the dessert platter? P.S.: we are especially fond of apple, mint, and carrot in our cookies and we think our guest will love them too!

2006: We have been giving this a lot of thought and, you know, by the time late September rolls around people feel like snuggling up with comfort food. And what’s more cozy and comfortable than a nice bucket of oats bowl of oatmeal? So how’s this for an idea: an oatmeal bar at the Hoe-Down! We are sure that for years to come our guests will look fondly upon this unique experience of feeding their oatmeal to us horses.

2007: Hola human Hoe-Down planning compadres! Thanks for meeting with us a month earlier than usual. We wanted to make sure you had plenty of time to bring our suggestions to life. We are thinking that the theme for this year’s Hoe-Down could be 2005: The Year of the Carrot. We horses would be happy to assist by eating distributing the carrot goody bags in the barn.

You’ve heard the expression, “leave something better than the way you found it”? The folks at USA Funds certainly have, and at the United Way Day of Caring it showed. Talk about making a difference!

Twenty of their enthusiastic volunteers cleaned TherAplay from top to bottom. No tool – or tire swing– was left unturned in the clinic. And no stall was left unmucked in the barn. Mr. and Ms. Clean were definitely here!

They even stayed late to make sure our expansion wall was covered with a fresh coat of paint. And, in case you’ve been wondering, yes they do windows – and alllll the plexiglass in the arena. Wow!

USA Group was so devoted to their task that they would have cleaned the spots off our pony Tiger if they could have caught him. (Run, Tiger, run!) Thankfully were able to convince them that we like Tiger’s spots! 

Thank you again for the white-glove treatment USA Funds!

And thank you to everyone who participated in United Way of Central Indiana 21^st annual Day of Caring. On August 24 and 25, more than 1800 volunteers contributed a total of $225,000 worth of labor at nearly 60 project sites across six counties.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your doing what you do best helps us do what we do best, and there are a whole bunch of kiddos, families, horses, and staff at TherAplay who appreciate it!

Want to join the fun?

We at TherAplay love our volunteers and are always ready to expand our volunteer family! To learn more about service opportunities for your business, organization, group, family, or you as an individual, please contact Office Manager, Breinne at blasley@childrenstheraplay.org. We’ll be excited to see you soon!

If this swing could talk it would tell you, “I work with our therapists to help with vestibular input. This helps kiddos feel more secure in their physical movement and more comfortable in their body.”

But our kiddos don’t think about that. They’ll tell you, “This isn’t work. It’s fun! If I could, I would swing all day long.”

If this therapy ball could talk it would tell you, “I team up with the therapists to strengthen stomach and trunk muscles which help my kiddos breathe more freely and walk tall.”

But our kiddos aren’t thinking about therapeutic gains. If you ask them about the ball, they’ll tell you, “When my therapist helps me sit on the ball it’s so much fun that sometimes I get the giggles.”

If this trampoline could talk it would tell you, “One of my specialties is proprioception. Therapists and I work together to help our kiddos become aware of where their bodies are in space. This helps them relax in their day-to-day movements and learn to complete common tasks without having to rely on their eyes for input.”

But our kiddos aren’t focused on that. They see something else when they look at the trampoline and they’ll tell you, “I love it when I get to bounce, bounce, bounce and bounce some more!”

If this therapeutic putty could talk it would tell you, “I’m made of special material to help our kiddos strengthen their fingers as they pinch, pull, stretch, and grip me. I build finger muscles!”

But our kiddos aren’t thinking about their fingers pumping iron. If you ask them about therapeutic putty, they’ll tell you, “I love to search for the toys my therapist hides in the putty. My fingers find them every time!”

If this horse could talk he would tell you, “Because I am a living, breathing, caring being, I am unique in the therapeutic environment. Through me our kiddos receive highly organized multidimensional movements and multisensory input. In addition to helping build core strength and comfort in experiencing different body positions and directions, I help our kiddos’ bodies learn, through the natural movement of my pelvis at a walk, how to walk more efficiently themselves.

But “therapeutic equipment” is the last term our kiddos would use to describe their equine therapists. Instead, if you ask the kiddos they will tell you, “I love my horse friend so much that when I wake up in the morning the first thing I ask is, ‘Is today the day I get to ride my horse?’ He helps my heart feel happy.”

If these hands could talk they would tell you, “I am always looking for creative ways to help our kiddos achieve their goals while having fun. Each day I guide little bodies to reach their goals.”

But our kiddos would describe them differently. If you ask the kiddos about these hands they will tell you, “They hold me and help me so I can do things my family and I never thought possible. These hands care for me. They are my friends.”

One of my favorite jobs as equine ambassador is to introduce people to TherAplay and help people understand what we do here. After all, it’s one thing to talk about hippotherapy but it’s something else to see it in action and get to meet the “hippos!”

After giving it some thought, I placed a call to the Hamilton County Council – yes, we do have a phone in the barn – and asked to make an appointment with the representative for District 1.

I could barely believe my eyes when I saw who walked through the barn door a week later: Meredith Carter and his wife Nellie! Meredith is a board member for Janus Developmental Services.

I’m a big fan of Janus for two reasons. First, as our TherAplay families understand, sometimes it can be difficult for people with disabilities to participate in the community; thankfully, Janus really helps these folks get involved. Second, the folks at Janus came out to discuss volunteer opportunities – thanks guys! My friend Pepsi got so excited – he loves volunteering – that he asked to join the meeting. Of course one thing led to another and Pepsi felt soooooo good while the Janus folks loved on him that he drifted off into a very nice nap!

So now you can understand why I was excited to meet Meredith and Nellie. Not only did I get to thank them for sharing their Janus friends with us, I also got to show them hippotherapy up close and in person, and I had something special for them!

An invitation to my party the Hoe-Down! (My Lisa is laughing because I was trying to be thorough and lick the envelope, but it stuck to my tongue. People, when you have a tongue this size, envelope-sticking-to-tongue incidents happen!)

Thanks again for coming out to see us, Meredith and Nellie! Be sure to stop by and feed me a carrot see me at the Hoe-Down!

P.S.: For my buddies who are reading this and wondering if they’re invited to my party, Well of course you are! Just hop out to the Hoe-Down webpage to learn more.

Things have been especially exciting around TherAplay this past month.

The Hoe-Down is the biggest horse party fundraiser of the year for TherAplay, not to mention my absolute favorite! Music, dancing, delicious treats we horses are often able to talk the guests into sharing with us, and apple martinis which I especially enjoy of course have never tasted! What’s not to love?

Things are moving right along behind the scenes, but it seems to take forever for those apple martinis September to get here. Sometimes it’s just tough to be patient.

That’s why we were so excited when the invitations arrived from the printer last week. Our administrative manager Breinne sent out an email to our volunteers and before I could twitch my tail lots of our friends had whooshed in to help stuff, seal, and stamp every single invitation in record time. Thanks guys! It really feels like the Hoe-Down is getting close now!

So here I was in my stall, feeling especially warm and happy inside, thinking about how the invitations to my party might be in my friends’ mailboxes right this minute. Then guess what happened?

My Lisa and Dasha happened!

Our lead mare executive director Lisa and one of my kiddo’s Dasha had something special for me.

I could see it had my name on it but I couldn’t quite reach it. Lisa helped Dasha be tall so I could see what they had for me.

There it was, my very own Hoe-Down invitation! I was so busy helping send out the other invitations that I forgot to save one for myself!

Thanks guys! I’ll get to work on that Hoe-Down RSVP ASAP! Now who has a pen?

Though it may look like Tim is smiling, he's probably just squinting to keep the sweat out of his eyes because IT WAS HOT! He was just one of 10 volunteers from Liberty Mutual who came out  and lent TherAplay a helping hand on both Thursday and Friday. They painted our pasture fence and helped us prepare for our upcoming Children's Rummage Sale. They lived up to their name and truly Gave with Liberty!
 

 

What is there to say? Beautiful weather + great turn-out + the world's best greeter = success! Thanks to all our amazing sponsors, volunteers, and the Roush Family for letting us borrow our Guest Greeter, Miss Dasha, for the day. As Dasha's Dad, Matt, mentioned, The Roush family has been utilizing TherAplay's services for over 7 years. He attributes much of his children's success to TherAplay's therapists and horses. We are honored to have served The Roush's and 100's of other families like them.

Congratulations to TherAplay's most dedicated and hardworking PTA, Jennifer Grillo, on 10 years at TherAplay!! TherAplay is honored to have such a knowledgeable and experienced therapist on staff. The kiddo's, who could care less about her skills as a therapist, just love "playing" with Miss Jen in the clinic and on their horse.

Jen's years of service to a non-profit made her eligible for a Renewal Grant from United Way funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc. Jen was honored with this grant last year and will be using it to explore Europe with her father this June. From all the TherAplay staff, friends, kiddos and their families, we wish Jen an amazing trip! You deserve every minute of it.

Thanks Jen, here's to 10 more!


 

As you can see, there was absolutely nothing to do at Sibling Camp this year... Ok, well, there were a few things ;)

We just can't say enough about how hard our staff worked and pulled together to make sure our TherAplay siblings got their day to play. It is a lot of work to make sure everyone has fun and stays safe. Many thanks to Indy 500 Princess Meredith, a long time TherAplay volunteer, for bringing out the Pace Car. Thanks to Chili's for donating the food, and all our amazing volunteers.  

Guess who won the Walking For Dreams award for most walkers...WE DID, WE DID!!!

How, you ask...because we have the most awesome staff, families and volunteers in the whole wide world.

Special thanks to Dylan's Angels for walking with TherAplay. We had an angel watching over us and blessing us with a beautiful, sunshiny day!


 

Late Thursday morning, the kids at TherAplay got a surprise visit from Eric and Jose, TherAplay's newest Indianapolis Indians friends!!! The kids grinned ear to ear while working with the players both on the horse and in the clinic. There was even a pick-up baseball game in the clinic during free time. The guys truly brightened the faces of EVERYONE that had the pleasure of meeting them; they were even gracious enough to put in some physical labor by helping us haul stuff for the upcoming children's rummage sale and took time to sign autographs for the siblings of our TherAplay kiddos. Baseball caps off to Eric and Jose!!

 

TherAplay got a deal when we got hooked up with these volunteers from Dealer Services Corporation. They came in on a mission, ready to get  their hands dirty. They did some much needed weeding and mulching in  our flower beds and sensory garden. The grounds got a major facelift thanks to their "get 'er done" attitudes. Many thanks to our new friends with Dealer Services! We hope to see them all again real soon!   


 

Our friends at WellPoint came out Saturday ready to get dirty and work hard! They cleaned this place from top to bottom and did it all with a smile on their faces! They gave our party room a fresh coat of paint, scraped and sanded our play-set, weather-proofed our benches, set-up 3 new bat houses for our unique TherAplay bat colony, laid tile flooring, cleaned the barn, the clinic, the kitchen and yes...even the bathrooms! We can't thank them enough for coming out on a cold, dreary morning and weathering the storm for a good cause.  We already can't wait for next year!

 

Our Occupational Therapists are now certified in Therapeutic Listening and after only two weeks of using this new tool, we are thrilled to report some great success stories! 

One of our kiddos diagnosed with autism has, among other goals, one to expand his verbal range beyond his ability to vocalize one or two sounds.  After his first therapeutic listening session at TherAplay, this kiddo is now chattering away with all sorts of new sounds!  While there are more goals to meet, this breakthrough is the jump start we’ve been looking for!

Another kiddo who is diagnosed with a chromosomal abnormality has been unwilling to walk for more than 10 – 15 steps before reaching for assistance or sitting down.  While her parents report they have seen some good progress this spring, they have seen nothing like what happened just last week at TherAplay!  After 10 minutes of Therapeutic Listening, this kiddo literally “took off” – with ear phones and MP3 player attached.  She walked non-stop for nearly 15 minutes enjoying the mild weather and taking in the scenery around the TherAplay grounds!  It was a beautiful day in more ways than one!

TherAplay needs to purchase additional Therapeutic Listening modules to build upon the success we have already seen with our kiddos.  On average, a module costs $45.  If you would like to donate funds to help us purchase additional modules and support other programs and services, click here now.  Thank you!   

More about Therapeutic Listening:  Developed by Vital Links, Therapeutic Listening is a research based tool for treating people who have difficulty with processing sensory information, listening, attention, and communication. High quality music, recorded specifically for Therapeutic Listening, is altered to exaggerate the sounds that naturally capture attention and tap into the parts of the brain involved in regulating bodily functions, relating to others, and organizing behavior.

Parents, teachers, and therapists worldwide have seen significant results by using Therapeutic Listening including:

• Increased Focus and Attention
• Better Moods
• Balanced Energy Levels 
• Greater Tolerance to Noise                                        
• Improved Sleep                                     
• Better Handwriting
• Fewer Tantrums
• Less Anxiety

There just aren't enough ways to say thank you to our friends at J.C. Hart Company, Inc. for all their hard work on Wednesday evening. They volunteered their time and expertise to help us with some much needed repairs around our great (but old) barn. Not only did they repair our sprinkler system, replace old piping, change filters and install a new spigot for our barn faucet, they also made time for the kiddos, as seen above. We are so very thankful!

Thursday was quite an emotional day here at TherAplay. Our girl Nikki provided her first round of therapy since her accident, and it went off flawlessly. We couldn't be more proud of Nikki's triumph over tragedy, nor can we say enough about how grateful we are of those who donated to her veterinary costs. We are also honored to have such patient, kind and knowledgeable staff to handle situations like this. And last but not least, while we're handing out props, we would like to thank our rider, who you may recognize from Marge's first ride. He's a true cowboy, willing to "break-in" any mare that comes his way. YEEHAA!

 

TherAplay is thrilled to be named one of seven charities to have the support of Women in the Industry (WIN) throughout 2012.  WIN is a diverse, non-partisan global organization providing leadership, mentoring, philanthropic & educational opportunities to women in the vacation industry, connecting members locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.The WIN Travel Auction is now open for bidding. Featuring over 20 exciting travel and entertainment items, the auction is sure to have something for everyone. Don’t delay, start bidding today at www.biddingforgood.com/wincharity.

Proceeds from the WIN Travel Auction support WIN 2012 philanthropic grant recipients. Please help make the auction a success by spreading the word to colleagues, friends, and families.


 

Nikki is home and doing even better than we expected. It was amazing the way she relaxed the minute she walked off the trailer into her familiar arena.  We are so grateful to Janssen's Vet Clinic for taking such great care of her and for all those who stopped out to visit or made monetary contributions for her medical expenses. We also want to give a special thank you to our amazing Barn Manager, Shani Sutton. She has gone above and beyond in making sure Nikki is comfortable, safe and spoiled rotten.


 

Another visit with Nikki this morning. We're not sure when she will be able to come home, but she was happy to be groomed and even happier about all the apples and carrots:) Please continue sending her love as she adjusts to life without her left eye, which is quite a challenge for a horse. Nikki is hopeful to get back to work soon so she can show all the TherAplay kiddos that life goes on even if you have a "special need".

TherAplay is still happy and grateful to accept donations for her medical expenses. If you are interested please click on the 'donate now' button below.
 

Nikki came through surgery well; she is up and standing on her own. Unfortunately, her trauma was greater than the X-rays and diagnostic tests had indicated. Her road to recovery will be very steep, which is all the more reason your positive thoughts are encouraged and so very much appreciated.


 

Our faithful therapy horse Nikki had an accident last night leaving her with a detached retina, bone chips and facial fractures. Our special girl is undergoing emergency surgery this afternoon so she can continue to be a loving companion and therapy horse for TherAplay kiddos. Please send good wishes and positive thoughts to get Nikki back up and galloping. If you would like to contribute to Nikki's medical expenses please donate now. All monies will go toward her care and her fellow four legged staff who will be stepping in for Nikki during her recovery.




 

Though we are all still trying to catch our breath around here, we just had to take a minute to stop and thank all our supporters for such an amazing and succesful Hoe-Down! We could not have pulled it off without our dedicated board members, staff and volunteers, nor would it have been as lucrative without the generous donations of our sponsors. We will soon have an updated list of all the sponsors on our website, so stay tuned and keep checking back so you can see who the amazing companies are in and around our community. If you were here - we hope you had a great time! If you weren't...sorry 'bout cha partner, maybe we'll see ya 'round next year.


 

This year's Day of Caring group was nothing short of AMAZING! We can't thank them enough for all of their hard work and attention to detail. Not only did they jump right in and get dirty and sweaty, but they didn't even complain! They totally spruced-up the place, thanks to them, the farm will be looking spectacular for our Hoe-Down!

Children's TherAplay, a nationally renowned and unique not-for-profit outpatient pediatric rehabilitation facility, is looking for both full and part time Physical and Occupational Therapists to add to our talented clinical team in Carmel, Indiana (Indianapolis).

For more information, visit our Careers page.

TherAPlay was honored to, once again, be part of Trends International's Chariti-BOWL this year. What a good time for so many amazing causes. They truly know how to put the "FUN" in FUNdraising! For more information on Trends International and all the great things they do for our community, visit their website at www.trendsinternational.com or www.trendscares.org. 
 

We just wanted to give a special shout out to all the AWESOME United Way staff members that volunteered at TherAplay on July 26th. They battled through the heat to help us clean our barn, our flower beds, our clinic, and even our horses!
 

This year's golf championship was one for the record books! We had so much fun, the weather was amazing, and we discovered a new TherAplay ROCK-STAR! TherAplay's very own Ally Owens started the day off with a speech listing everything from her favorite TherAplay horse to some major milestones she's reached at TherAplay (tying her shoes, standing on one leg, carrying her tray across the cafeteria without dropping it, etc...) She then wrapped things up with a hole in one putt that rocked everyone's world!

Oh, and we also played some golf and raised some money for TherAplay:)

A very special thank you to Tom Merrell with Industrial Dielectrics who generously donated his winnings back to TherAplay.

Many thanks to Wood Wind Golf Club for making the day run so smoothly!

We are very excited to welcome and introduce Lisa Kobek, TherAplay's new Executive Director. Lisa has worked in both the profit and non-profit world, which gives her a great perspective on what it takes to make an organization thrive. We all look forward to working with Lisa and expect to learn new ways in which to continue improving the quality of TherAplay's services. If you would like to meet Lisa, she can be reached at 317-872-4166 ext.102 or lkobek@childrenstheraplay.org. 

TherAplay would like to thank all of the TherAplay families and friends that supported us at this year's Walking For Dreams fundraiser. We were humbled by the generous donations and elated with the plethora of walkers that showed up to support and represent TherAplay. Special thanks go out to the Indianapolis Indians who graciously donated a family foursome (box seats and all) for each family that raised over $250. Not to mention they gave Rowdie the day off to come play with all the kiddo's at the walk! And for those of you who were intending to walk or donate the day-of but got scared off by the rain - you're in luck - we're still accepting donations!

Stay tuned for next weeks post about our Golf Outing - if we all don't melt!!

While looking up the leaderboard at the Masters today, I stumbled upon a nice article (by ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski) about Ernie Els and his eight-year-old son, Ben, who was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in 2006.  It's a very good article you can link to below.

Ernie Els and son: Interlocking grips

I always liked Els as a golfer, but after reading this article, I'll cheer louder for the Big Easy at Augusta!

For 4 solid years, Marcia Rose, has been extending her time and talent to TherAplay on a consistent, almost religious basis. She has been there for everything from the mundane data entry and envelope stuffing to the hustle and bustle of numerous Hoe-Downs and Holiday Festivals.

When asked, “What keeps you coming back?” she doesn't say a word, she just simply points to the kids working hard in the clinic.  Marcia exemplifies a perfect volunteer; she is self motivated, does what needs to be done, and we have yet to hear her complain. Therefore, we’d like to thank Marcia and honor her as TherAplay’s Volunteer With Cheer!

Check out the great article about Breinne and TherAplay from this past Sunday's Indianapolis Star.

TherAplay manager is enjoying the ride

When Breinne Lasley needs a break, she escapes to the stables of The Children's TherAplay Foundation Inc. in Carmel to visit Rocky, her favorite horse, who acts more like a dog.

"He loves attention, and sometimes his tongue will stick out the side of his mouth," she said.

As the administrative manager at TherAplay, Lasley is responsible for making sure funds keep coming in order to continue to provide physical and occupational therapy. To keep costs down, she and her staff do most of the cleaning themselves -- this includes the bathrooms. Barn workers take care of the stables.

Lasley serves as TherAplay's volunteer coordinator, event planner and decision maker. She is on the planning committee for TherAplay's three biggest fundraisers: a Hoe-Down and Casino Night held each September, a golf outing and the Walking for Dreams Family & Pet Walk.

Visit our Facebook site now.

4MyChild (www.cerebralpalsy.org) recently posted the following article about the benefits of Hippotherapy for children with Cerebral Palsy.

A Walk on the Wild Side May Help Your Child Thrive

The Hippotherapy Alternative

When you find out that your child has cerebral palsy, you are concerned that his opportunities for fun and recreation will be forever limited. You desperately want to spare him the pain of being cooped up in a hospital room for treatment sessions while his friends run and play outdoors.

However, today's therapeutic options for youngsters with CP offer up the kind of thrills and adventure that any child would remember for a lifetime.

Click here to read entire article

If you have not yet seen them, make sure you take some time to visit our video library.  It is one of the best ways to learn about TherAplay, see some of our fantastic kiddos at work, and to witness the amazing dedication of our staff.  Enjoy!

Check out this great article about TherAplay kiddo, Cole, and Children's TherAplay Foundation.

Click here for Indy Star article.

Come join us this Saturday for:

TherAplay's 8th Annual Hoe-Down & Wild West Casino