S PUR’s annual spring horse show at Sunnyside was once again an exciting day for

students, their friends and family. A total of 44 riders proudly demonstrat-ed their equestrian skills in the indoor arena, while outside there were games, crafts and a climbing wall. Dressage judge Cindy Glaser gener-ously donated her time to evaluate the riders’ performance.

Later in the summer, Monmouth County Fair visitors were treated to a therapeutic horse show hosted by SPUR on July 26, closing day. Eight SPUR riders competed with students from another local therapy barn, Hap-py Tails. Cindy Glaser again gave of her time to serve as judge.

“Our riders did very well, and it was exciting for everyone to compete with another facility,” said Jackie West, SPUR’s head instructor. “We were also very proud of Diesel, Scout and Woody, who tolerated the fair atmosphere and performed beautiful-ly. The show was a success, and the feedback from all involved was very positive” and confirmed the high val-ue of SPUR riders’ participating in horse shows. “This gives us the in-centive to grow this show next year, inviting other therapy barns to come to the fair to compete.”

The final show of the year, the Horse-back Riding for the Handicapped Open Horse Show and Special Olympics New Jersey competition at the Horse Park of New Jersey, Allen-town, on October 17, featured 14 SPUR students winning ribbons in a

variety of classes aimed at different skill levels. Their support teams in-cluded parents, friends, SPUR staff-ers and volunteers, and the unflappa-ble Diesel, Scout and Woody. Once again happy faces dominated the scene, validating the old saying; “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man” – or SPUR student.

NEWSLETTER SPECIAL PEOPLE UNITED TO RIDE

FALL/WINTER 2015

SPUR Riders Shine at Horse Shows

SPUR rider Sydney Shwartz, who won two first place ribbons on Woody at the HRH Open Horse Show and Special Olympics New Jersey competi-tion, celebrates victory with (left to right): Jackie West, head instructor; Emily Caton, instructor; Stephanie Hunt, barn manager; and Barbara Carroll, SPUR Board Co-President.

Articles Inside Sweet JAW Gala Horses for Heroes Highlighted

at PATH National Conference

Therapeutic Riding Camp

A Special Thank You

Volunteers of the Year

RBC Students Dress Down

Whole Foods Giving Day

Helping Hands

Remembering a Horsewoman

Halloween Comes to Sunnyside

Walking to Make a Difference

Carnival Raises Scholarship Funds

And more...

A Message from the Co-Presidents

Dear Friends,  What an exci ng year 2015 has been for SPUR!  We have seen an increase in rider par cipa on, our instructors have implemented new programs and new horses have been welcomed to Sunnyside. In addi on, the Professional Associa on of Therapeu c Horsemanship Interna onal (PATH) has recer fied SPUR as a PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center for another five years.  Financial contribu ons of all kinds from nonprofits, corpora ons  and individuals have helped us provide scholarships for those in our tradi onal therapeu c horsemanship and our Horses for Heroes  programs and have supplemented our horse fund.   This year we were fortunate to receive major support from a generous anonymous donor and the following: 

 Sweet JAW Founda on 

Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade 

Whole Foods 5% Community Giving Day at the Marlboro  and Middletown stores 

Campership of Monmouth County 

Larry and JoDee Anderson 

Nevergreen Farm 

Daughters of the American Revolu on, Shrewsbury Towne‐Monmouth Chapter 

The Military Careers Club of Red Bank Catholic High School   We also are grateful to all who volunteered their  me and talents  in lessons and in helping ensure the success of SPUR programs and  ac vi es.  Now as we prepare to say goodbye to 2015 and welcome 2016, we would like to thank everyone, past and present, who has worked hard to help SPUR con nue to grow and develop into the incredible program that it is today. We especially want to recognize our riders, young and old, for the smiles and enthusiasm they bring to their weekly lessons.  Thank you for your support.    

Barbara Carroll and Barbara Duggan Co‐Presidents, SPUR Board of Directors 

Board of Directors

Co-Presidents Barbara Carroll Barbara Duggan

Past-President Linda Smith

Recording Secretary Jill Socha

Treasurer Neven Puharic

Larry Anderson Jan Barthold Monica Cantor Susan Christensen Christina Rallo Daniels Barbara A. Finazzo Nicholas Hegarty John K. Mahoney Virginia Russell Sharon Stein Robin Walla Sustaining Members Leslie Dyer Judy Horan Cathy Murray

BOARD MISSION

It is the mission of the Board of Directors of Special People United to Ride to work with the Monmouth County Park System to financially support and to be ambassadors for the Park System’s therapeutic horseback riding and associated programs for individuals with disabilities.

PROGRAM MISSION

Working in conjunction with the Monmouth County Park System, Special People United to Ride is a non-profit organization providing individuals with disabilities the opportunity to achieve personal goals through therapeutic horse-back riding.

S weet JAW Foundation was founded by family and friends of

six- and four-year old brothers diag-nosed with Autism in 2011. This 501(c) 3-recognized organization serves as a vehicle to secure private funds that will continue to aid research, promote awareness, and help families directly affected by Autism. The des-ignation of funds to various organiza-tions are Autism specific but not lim-ited to, with the intention to provide funding to various organizations throughout the state of New Jersey. This year, SPUR was very fortunate to be the targeted program. The Third Annual Sweet JAW Foundation Gala raised $20,000 for our scholarship fund. The event, held at the Deal Golf & Country Club on November 14, attracted 211 attendees for a delicious dinner, vodka tasting, and ticket auction of 98 baskets, plus two door prizes. Guests also enjoyed dancing and taking candid pictures in the photo booth.

A tremendous amount of hard work went into putting this evening togeth-er. We are truly appreciative of the efforts of Sweet JAW officers Kimberly Walker, president, Kelly Speck, vice president and Trisha Kilgour, treasurer, and all who helped them. It was an honor to work with the amazing officers of the Sweet JAW Foundation. Thank you from the SPUR Board of Directors, SPUR administrators and staff and all our scholarship recipients.

Sweet JAW Foundation officers, Kelly Speck, Kimberly Walker and Trisha Kilgour.

Sweet JAW check presentation at Sunnyside with (left to right): Jackie West; Kimberly Walker; Kelly Speck; Trisha Kilgour; Barbara Duggan; Barbara Carroll Photo credit: The Link News

SPUR Board members Barbara Finazzo, Susan

Christensen, Barbara Carroll, Barbara Duggan,

John Mahoney, Larry Anderson, Sharon Stein

and Robin Walla with Kimberly and Joe Walker

from Sweet JAW

Photo credit: Mark Fischgrund, Off Beet Productions

SPUR Scholarship Fund Benefits from Sweet JAW Foundation Gala

Horses for Heroes Highlighted at PATH National Conference

SPUR’s Horses for Heroes program is gaining national recognition. SPUR Programming Director and Head Instruc-tor Jackie West and Special Programs Coordinator Jenni Tevlin, a licensed mental health professional, were invited to give a presentation at the Professional Association of Thera-peutic Horsemanship’s (PATH) National Conference in Cleveland, Ohio on November 6. The pair, who are credentialed as PATH-Certified Therapeu-tic Riding Instructors and Equine Specialists in Mental Health and Learning, focused on their work at Sunnyside Equestrian Center over the past two years, using Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT) to help veterans who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Several veterans were among those attending West and Tevlin’s one-hour talk, which they report elicited a great deal of audience engagement and many expressions of support and positive feedback. During their presentation, they highlighted their collaboration with the Wounded Warrior Project, as well as the SPUR Horses for Heroes program, which offers need-based scholar-ships to veterans who do not qualify for Wounded Warrior funding and would otherwise not be able to afford to partici-pate in EAAT. The two have worked with the rest of the dedicated staff and volunteers at the farm to build these veterans’ programs and increase awareness, outreach and accessibility of their EAAT services to all who could benefit. For more information about SPUR Horses for Heroes, contact Jenni by phone at 732-224-1367, ext. 4#, or by email at: jenni.tevlin @co.monmouth.nj.us.

At the end of August, Sunnyside Equestrian Center hosted its second therapeutic horseback riding camp for SPUR students, who spent each day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. participating in a host of activities. SPUR therapeutic riding instructors Tara Dunford and Bobby DeBarba created an engaging and fun curricu-lum for the 11 students who attended.

In addition to riding each day, campers learned about all aspects of horse care from grooming and bathing to feeding and barn chores.

They were thrilled to spend so much time with the horses and in the barn, the instructors noted, adding that it was especially wonderful to see the bonds formed among the campers. They truly enjoyed the group envi-ronment and having one another to talk to and collaborate with each day. A few of the returnees were particu-larly helpful making sure the new

campers understood the activities and lending a helping hand. SPUR volunteers arrived early each day to help out and were an integral part of the camp’s success. The instructors said that they could not have done it without them. On the last day of camp, the students rode for friends and families, showing off their independent riding skills and enjoying a photo session with their favorite equines. All agreed it was a fantastic way to end the week.

Therapeutic Riding Camp Hits a High Note

F or many years, students from the Fair Haven elementary

schools have been coming to Sunnyside for a SPUR Disability Awareness Workshop. Participants engage in activities that simulate different disabilities and then go for a short ride, focusing on how the experience of horseback riding might help improve the lives of our riders. We frequently receive thank you notes from the Fair Haven students, and would like to share a particularly eloquent one from a young lady who clearly understood what we’re all about here at SPUR.

A Special Thank You

Volunteers of the Year Margo Thornton, our 2014 Volunteer of the Year, has been an enthusiastic supporter of many different aspects of our program since the spring of 2011. Margo can be counted on to, in her words, “help wherever needed.” True to those words, she helps with SPUR lessons, one time activities for the general public, and our annual SPUR horse show. She is a key member of our morning school group programs. In addition, she frequently jumps in to substitute, often on short notice. With her calm, easygoing and supportive personali-ty, she always helps her lessons run smoothly. As an added bonus, Margo has made volunteering a family af-fair by recruiting her granddaughters, Nicole and Shayla, to help with many of our special activities. Last June, these young ladies did a mas-terful job of staffing the merchandise

table. In addition, Nicole was a great help assisting with several weeks of our summer camp program. How fortunate we are to have these three members of the Thornton family as part of our team. Our 2014 Junior Volunteer of the Year, Erin Gross, has a special con-nection to our SPUR program: her brother, Patrick, has been riding with

us since the spring of 2012. Eager to help with our program, Erin signed up for our volunteering workshop as soon as she turned 14. She has be-come a valued member of our team. A skilled leader and sidewalker, she brings a great sensitivity to her inter-actions with everyone she comes into contact with at Sunnyside. Her calm, steady energy enables her to work well with any of our horses. Erin is a reliable volunteer who is a definite asset to any lesson to which she is assigned. This past summer, Erin was selected to participant in Boston’s Tufts University’s Vet Camp, where she was able to experi-ence various aspects of a career in veterinary science. We are sure Erin will be successful in whatever career path she chooses; for now, we are very happy to have her as one of dedicated volunteers.

Erin Gross Margo Thornton

The Sunnyside programs and facility have been fortunate to receive help in many forms this year. In May, Mark Hunt, Vice President of Global Risk Services Technology, organized a work day by employees from State Street Global Exchange, Princeton. Led by Ilyana Martinez, the group not only gave up their free time to repair the sensory trail, but also raised $500 to fund the project and to purchase saddle racks to place out-side each stall. They returned to Sunnyside in September to rejuvenate the gravel paths around the barn, a project also generously funded by $300, which they raised.

Helping Hands

RBC Students Dress Down to Honor ‘Heroes’ The Military Careers Club of Red Bank Catholic High School chose SPUR’s Horses for Heroes to be the recipient of their Veterans Day fundraiser. Each RBC student who donated to the fundraiser did not have to wear his or her uniform on November 11.

SPUR Board Members, Sunnyside staffers and volunteers provided information about the SPUR programs at the Middletown and Marlboro Whole Foods Markets on September 16 during a 5% Community Giving Day. Whole Foods Marketing Team Leaders Brooke Herman and Laura Fette organized the event. The retailer donated 5 percent of the day’s net sales at both locations to the SPUR Scholarship Fund, a total of almost $8,500. We are grateful to Whole Foods for their support and the opportunity to talk to their customers about our programs.

Maggie Lynch, Jack Smith and Eddie Barnwell, officers of RBC’s Military Careers Club, present Jackie West, head instructor, with a $1,566.10 check for SPUR’s Horses for Heroes Program.

Employees from State Street Global Exchange, Princeton.

Whole Foods Shopping Day Helps SPUR

Remembering a Horsewoman and Friend

SPUR recently received a memorial donation in memory of Edith Abbot Link. Please read what her friends had to say about her and why they chose SPUR to receive their donation.

Arrow A 16-hand Paint gelding, came to us in June 2014, and spent some time training in his role as a therapy horse. Arrow excels at his work in our Horses

for Heroes program for veterans. One veteran, Christopher Hoff, who participates, remarked that Arrow has "saved his life" and that they have each taught one other so much.

Woody A 15.1-hand Appendix Quarter Horse geld-ing, joined the herd in April 2015. He has stepped right into his role as a therapy

horse, both at Sunnyside and travel-ing with us to the Monmouth County Fair show hosted by SPUR and the HRH of NJ Show. His past experi-ence in the show ring has been an asset to him in his job, as he is confident and relaxed, even in front of a crowd.

Diesel A 15.1-hand Quarter Horse gelding pur-chased with monies from the SPUR Horse Fund, became part of the Sunnyside family in June 2015. Sweet

and affectionate, he loves his job working with kids. Diesel has also been a solid partner to students at the Monmouth County Fair and HRH of NJ Show. At home, he welcomes visitors and loves attention.

Solid Citizens Join Sunnyside’s Herd

Edith Abbot Link

A donation to the scholarship program has been given in loving memory of our childhood friend, Edith Abbott Link, by a group of

her lifelong friends who grew up and attended school with her in Hack-ensack, NJ. Everyone who knew Edie was familiar with her (longstanding) love of horses and horseback riding. Edie raised her family in Franklin Lakes, NJ, and had a small stable where she kept her two horses. When she eventually relocated to Geor-gia, Edie did not leave behind her love of all things equine. She ac-quired another horse and continued to ride and care for it. She constant-ly challenged her riding skills, even taking dressage lessons right up to the time of the onset of multiple health challenges. After much consultation and deliberation, we friends corporately have decided that the best way to honor and commemorate Edie’s life was to assist others who deserve to benefit from instruction in learning to ride, especially to help deal with their physical, mental or emotional issues. Our search led us to the SPUR program. Although Edie is no longer with us in person, it is comforting for us to know that others will benefit from her legacy through this program in her home state where our friendships all began.

Friends of Edith: Mary Lea (Heydon) Burden Marge (Rehm) Bolyard Kathy Chalmers Claire (Winchell) Dairymple Mariclaire Emerson Sue (Kelly) Kettell Gina (Nowakowski) Stearns Carolyn (Church) Turkstra

Halloween Comes to Sunnyside

Instructors, barn attendants and others got into the Halloween spirit by costuming themselves and 12 SPUR horses. Our patient horses wore their costumes with-out a complaint or whinny and stood to greet the many costumed SPUR students and their families and friends who came for some Halloween fun.

On a Saturday morning in May, Middletown High School North’s (MHSN) Student Government held the second annual Austin’s Walk for the Stars on their foot-ball field and track. The event was spearheaded by SPUR vol-unteer and MHSN student Jonela Grimaldi, who said she is follow-ing the advice of Mahatma Gan-dhi to “be the change you wish to see in the world.” Here’s what she wrote on the event’s website: “To most peo-ple, there's always that one thing inside of you that you want to share to the outside and have eve-ryone hear your voice about something with the utmost mean-ing to you, the thing you put your full time, energy, and heart into. To me, it would be this walk, which was influenced by my twin brother Austin, who was diag-nosed on the autism spectrum

when he was two-and-a-half. This walk is to not only raise awareness about those with au-tism, but those with other mental and physical disabilities as well.” The walk raised funds for SPUR and Challenged Youth Sports (CYS), whose programs benefit-ted Austin. With better weather and greater publicity than last year, Jonela explains, “the turnout nearly dou-bled from the first year we held the walk! Overall, the support from our community and the turnout will continue to grow over the years to come,” she pre-dicts. “Regardless of the amount of those that show up the day of, we are always very grateful for those who support our cause, who lend their time and dedica-tion to it, and to those who have generously donated any kind of funds for SPUR and CYS.”

Contributing to SPUR Contributions come from many sources: Checks from individuals for a particular purpose or for the general fund; grants; donations made at events where SPUR has a presence; fundraisers; and so on. Here are a couple of ways of helping SPUR financially that we are seeing utilized more and more. Corporate Programs

Matching gift programs allow em-ployees to have a say in where their employer allocates its corporate giv-ing dollars and support a favorite nonprofit.

In a typical corporate matching gift program companies match donations made by their employees to eligible nonprofits, usually at a 1:1 ratio. Some firms may even triple or quad-ruple donations. SPUR has benefited recently from matching funds given by Goldman, Sachs & Company, Ma-cy’s Inc. and the New Jersey Ameri-can Water Company. Check with your employer to see if you can take advantage of this type of giving. Remembrance Donations

One way to recognize a loved one or other special person in your life is to make a donation in his or her name. A donation in honor of can be made to remember a birthday, anniversary or any other milestone in a person’s life or simply to acknowledge him or her. A memorial donation can be made to pay tribute to a life that was im-portant to you. (See Edie article)

Walking to Make a Difference

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www.spuronline.org

SPUR (Special People United to Ride)

Special People United to Ride, 805 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738 732-224-1367 www.spuronline.org

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PERMIT NO. 302

A carnival at Middletown (NJ) High School North (MHSN) is no new concept, according

to faculty member Gerry Mahoney. In the past, students and faculty pro-duced a charity carnival benefitting many organizations including SIDS and The American Cancer Society, but there had not been one for the last few years. A year and a half ago, she and fellow faculty member Cheryl Krol decided it was time to bring the carnival back as a school wide community service event. When planning began in June 2014 with a May 15, 2015 target date, SPUR was selected as the beneficiary for a couple of reasons. MHSN stu-dent Jonela Grimaldi had previously held two small-scale fundraisers for SPUR, and carnival organizers want-ed to support her cause. Also, Jonela and many of her fellow students have served as volunteers at SPUR over the years. Support came from many sources. Faculty advisors organized several clubs to help, and there were sponsor-

ships from a variety of groups: The Middletown Township Education Association; Middletown Elks; Mid-dletown Lions; Middletown North Parent Faculty Association (PFA); Middletown North Booster Club and Ray Veth of Beacon Awards. The Middletown maintenance crew and North’s custodial staff also provided assistance. The months of planning paid off, organizers report. Families arriving at the carnival on a windy Friday after-

noon were greeted by SPUR repre-sentatives and given re-usable bags from the PFA to hold all their winnings. Games, live music and more than 25 activities for children were ready, including the most popu-lar: A dunk tank, pie-in-the-face, pony rides and petting zoo. All involved agreed that the day was a huge success and a great school wide charity event.

Faculty, Students and Community Members Work to Raise Scholarship Funds

Members of the Middletown High School North student body, co-curricular clubs, Booster Club administration, faculty and board of education presented SPUR with a check for $2,000.