Horses & Horizons holds its annual year-end celebration
Alexander Brisk of Mountain Top was the first recipient of the Sydney Marko Memorial Scholarship at the recent year-end celebration for Horses & Horizons Therapeutic Learning Center Inc., New Ringgold. From left are Elaine Smith, program director; Alice Weaver, president of the board; and Executive Director Harvey Smith. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
Horses & Horizons Therapeutic Learning Center Inc.’s Program Director Elaine Smith and Executive Director Harvey Smith, pose with Volunteer of the Year Christine Schilling, center, at the recent year-end celebration.
Navaeh Pinckney of Hazleton, far left, and Megan Lenig of Orwigsburg, far right, show their “Volunteen” of the Year awards presented by Horses & Horizons Therapeutic Learning Center Inc.’s Program Director Elaine Smith and Executive Director Harvey Smith.
Horses & Horizons Therapeutic Learning Center Inc. held its year end celebration on Nov. 4 at the fellowship hall of Zion’s Stone Church of West Penn. This annual event marked the completion of another successful season of therapeutic horseback riding lessons for children and adults with disabilities.
The purpose of the event was to show appreciation the organization’s many volunteers, and to recognize the achievements of its riders.
The organization named Chrissy Schilling as Volunteer of the Year. This was Schilling’s fourth year as a lesson volunteer since her return to HHTLC after a 17-year sabbatical to raise her two sons.
Previously, she volunteered with the program all during her high school years.
This is Schilling’s third year on the board of directors, where she serves as treasurer. She was also named Volunteer of the Year in 2016.
A longtime horse owner, Schilling resides in Andreas with her husband and her younger son, Cameron. Her older son, Trevor, recently enlisted in the United States Army.
Horses & Horizons also honored Megan Lenig and Nevaeh Pinckney as “Volunteens” of the Year. Both girls showed outstanding dedication as lesson volunteers, and they also helped with the organizations’ special events and fundraisers.
Lenig lives in Orwigsburg and is in honors classes at Blue Mountain High School. Pinckney is from Hazleton, where she home schools. She has her heart set on becoming a veterinarian.
Board President Alice Weaver presented the newly created Sydney Marko Memorial Scholarship to Alexander (Alex) Brisk of Mountain Top.
Jim and Carrie Marko recently founded the scholarship in honor of their 12-year-old daughter, Sydney, who passed away in May after a long and courageous battle with advanced Lyme disease.
Sydney rode at Horses & Horizons for seven years. Her parents wanted the scholarship to go to a rider who loved horseback riding as much as Sydney did.
Several years ago, Alex befriended Sydney at school, and she was the reason that he began riding at Horses & Horizons. Horseback riding is an activity that he looks forward to every week. The scholarship entitles him to one full eight-week session of therapeutic horseback riding in 2019.
Executive Director Harvey Smith and his wife, Elaine, program director, awarded the organization’s more than 30 volunteers with certificates of appreciation and its 20 riders with certificates of achievement.
Horses & Horizons is a registered nonprofit organization. It operates from Harvey and Elaine Smith’s Helping Horse Farm, located between Tamaqua and New Ringgold. The therapeutic horseback riding program is staffed entirely by volunteers. For the past 25 years, it has served riders ranging in age from 3 to 70 with a wide variety of physical, mental, and emotional disabilities.
Horses & Horizons holds riding lessons from the end of April through October. For information on becoming a volunteer or enrolling a rider in Horses & Horizons Therapeutic Learning Center Inc., visit www.horsesandhorizons.org or call Harvey or Elaine Smith at 570-386-5679.
