Thank you!!
Our Fall Session has been BUSY, and I want to thank some very special individuals who have been subs for us so far this session. In the first 5 weeks of the session, we have needed 71 subs!! Yet, we have been able to fill every spot, which means every client has been able to ride. We couldn't do it without all of you!!
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Christa Kokott
Rox Prah
Jean Firn
Joanie Dutton
John Bradley
Heather Bluemel
Liz Boss
Kim Quick
Becky Dyckman
Rox Prah
Frank Longenecker
Julie Longenecker
Betsy Lizer
Lynn Peterson
Kim Soeth
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Tammie Mueller
Denise Milano
Sam Keegan
Amanda Harder
Julie Barganz
Karen Elmer
Makenna Wittrock
Suzanne Peters
Gloria Reed
Mark VanLaeys
Katie Boss
Kim Good
Katie Luessenhop
Kayla Hawkins
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**Don't forget there are no classes on Thursday November 25 & Friday November 26 due to the Thanksgiving holiday! We WILL have classes on Saturday, November 27. |
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Winter Session January 3 - March 5
Our Winter Session will be here before you know it! We are working on solidifying our class schedule, so I will send out a separate email about sign-up information for the Winter Session as we get closer.
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Volunteer Holiday Party!! |
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Time to appreciate YOU!!!
We are so excited to host our volunteer appreciation event this year!! This event will be held on Saturday, December 4, at the SMILES facility, from 1pm-3pm. Volunteers will enjoy yummy food, gifts, and social time with fellow volunteers! Invitations will be mailed out soon, but you can let us know now if you can attend by clicking the link HERE! It's time to let US spoil YOU!!
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Santa Cause Fundraiser for SMILES |
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The Tree Festival is Almost Here! |
The 2021 Santa Cause Tree Festival planning and details are well underway! Our Home Sweet Home themed tree and raffle prizes are boasting an almost $15,000 value! But, we need your help! We have a few items still to be collected for raffle prizes. A quick and easy sign up has been created to help us secure items for our last few baskets! If you can help by donating even one item from our list, please be sure to sign up. All items need to be at SMILES by November 12th.
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OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
FREE ADMISSION
The Wood Boat Center
Gage Marine
1 Liechty Drive
Williams Bay, WI 53191
November 24th – December 30, 2021
Wed – Fri 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Sat – Sun 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
*Closed Christmas Eve + Christmas Day
Raffle Ticket Books $20 for 10 tickets
100% of all proceeds
benefit ‘Charities of Christmas’
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New Training Video- How to properly attach a cinch/girth!
At SMILES, we use multiple saddles and girths on multiple horses, which means we need help from the volunteers to ensure that the girth/cinch is attached properly, and in a comfortable way for our horses. If this is not done properly, it can lead to problems like pressure sores or swelling.
The Instructors do their best to make sure there is a properly fitting cinch/girth for every horse (though please let us know if we have one that is too short or too long!) What we need from volunteers is to make sure that the girth/cinch is placed as evenly as possible on both sides. For example, on an English saddle, the girth is placed on hole #2 on each side, NOT on hole #1 on the right side and hole #4 on the left side. An uneven girth/cinch can cause discomfort to the horse and lead to saddle slippage in class.
The training video below explains this and shows you an example with both a girth and a cinch. Please review the video, and then help us with this the next time you are here for class! In the end, this will make the horses' jobs more comfortable, keep our clients safe, and save some time for the Instructors while they do their safety-checks. Thank you!!
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SMILES' YouTube Channel
Click the link below to subscribe to our YouTube channel!
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November Volunteer Spotlight |
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November Spotlight is.....Kim Quick!!
How did you become involved with SMILES, and how long have you been volunteering?
A friend introduced me to SMILES at Walworth County fair, and I signed up to volunteer from that. I have been volunteering for about a year now.
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Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Waukegan, Illinois. But lived in Jacksonville, FL for a few years as well.
Who is your favorite horse at SMILES and why?
I don't know that I have a favorite! I love them all. Some of the horses I've worked with...Rio, his patience is amazing. Buster has the cutest snorts, Lincoln with his playful character, Ellie for her spunkiness, and Sport...the playful mischievous little brother type of guy. But I love how ALL SMILES horses take such good care of their riders!
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If you were gifted a million dollars, what would you do with it?
Donate some to SMILES, pay off some bills, and buy my retirement property somewhere I never have to see my breath!
What is something you like to do in November?
Gather with family and friends for Thanksgiving.
What do you enjoy about volunteering at SMILES?
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I enjoy everything! I love grooming and cleaning stalls, I like to help out with some of the "behind the scenes" stuff, like the tack sale. But what I enjoy the most is seeing the clients SMILES as the ride!
Is there anything else you'd like your fellow volunteers to know?
I have 2 grown girls, still in an empty nester... Which feels so weird right now 😁. I live in Silver Lake with my 2 dogs. And I like to be outside doing a variety things and keeping busy.
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Thank you to everyone who helped make the Miles for SMILES 5K such a HUGE success! We were blessed with great weather and a terrific event. We met many new guests and saw such fun costumes!!
Who's already planning their costumes for the 2022 Miles for SMILES??
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November Birthdays at SMILES! |
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Leslie Warnecke, November 2
Marilyn Traver, November 6
Autumn Wolf, November 7
Amanda Harder, November 10
Julia Tretter, November 18
Christie Mandas, November 29
Lynne Dempsey, November 27
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SMILES transcends traditional therapeutic methods by offering individuals with special needs the joy of participating in an equine-assisted program which provides social, emotional, physical and personal rewards. |
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