Royal National Volunteer Week! |
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Wow, what a fun week at SMILES as we celebrated National Volunteer Week! We enjoyed yummy food, decorations, and the riders got to join in on the fun in the arena with our royal lesson plan! Click the link below to see the pictures that were taken throughout the week! Thank you ALL for your dedication to SMILES! You are amazing!!
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Spring Session
Spring Session has been so much fun! You all have been doing an amazing job helping our new (and returning) clients reach their goals and enjoy their time at SMILES! Thank you for all that you do!
Just a quick reminder that there will be NO CLASSES on Saturday, May 28 and Monday, May 30 due to the Memorial Day holiday.
**I'm still looking for one more volunteer for the Monday 7:00 class for the remainder of the session. If you can help, let me know!**
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Summer Session Volunteer Sign Up!
Summer will be here before we know it! We are looking forward to classes outside and happy horses out in the sunshine! We hope you can join us!
Click the link below to sign up!
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New Volunteer Training
We are planning our next round of Volunteer Training in preparation for a fun summer of riding lessons! If you know of someone interested in volunteering, please send them my way. Or, if you'd like to "re-take" the volunteer training, please feel free to join in!
Here are the training date options for June:
Saturday, June 18, 9am-12pm
Monday, June 20, 5pm-8pm
If interested in attending, please fill out the sign-up form by clicking the link below. Thank you!
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Training Video: Unsaddling After Class
In this month's training video, we are showing you what to do when it's time to unsaddle after class, and what you can do with all of those straps!
NEW POLICY!: Please do not undo the girth/cinch before you lead your horse back to the barn after class. Saddles can slip off, causing horses to spook or potentially damaging our tack. Please get in the habit of keeping your girth/cinch attached after class. Thank you!
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The "Mane" Event Golfing for SMILES
June 22nd at Hawks View Golf Club, Lake Geneva
Golfing season is here! If you would like to volunteer to help at the event click the button to the right to sign up for a task. No golf experience needed to help!
Also, wine and gift cards are needed for the fun activities at the event. Each item must have a value of $25 or more. Bring them to the office before June 10th please.
Thank you for all you do for SMILES!
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July Open Benefit Horse Show
We are looking for volunteers to help at our annual Open Benefit Horse Show this summer! No showing experience needed! Click the link at the left to see what tasks are available to fill! The show is July 16th and 17th at the Walworth County Fair Grounds in Elkhorn, Wisconsin!
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May Spotlight is on.....Cheryl Smith!!
How did you become involved with SMILES, and how long have you been volunteering?
I’m a real newbie! I just started volunteering this session. When we were at the Santa Cruise Christmas trees display, our daughter pointed out the SMILES tree. She also gave me the information card that was with it. Our daughter mucked stalls when she was in school in exchange for lessons and helped in the arena and loved it. She thought SMILES sounded great and that I might enjoy it. I called Katie and came in to observe and I was hooked.
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Where did you grow up?
Lakewood, Ohio
Who is your favorite horse at SMILES and why?
Freckles - he’s so sweet and doesn’t seem to mind when I’m not
sure I know what I’m doing 😊
If you were gifted a million dollars, what would you do with it?
Fun to imagine. The first thing that comes to mind of course is to be able to help family and friends in need. Next would be to plan some fun trips for our family - kids and grandkids. I think then I would want to set up some kind of accounts for our ten grandchildren and finally do some research. To discover organizations and outreaches that contributions could be made to that would be impactful and significant would be very rewarding.
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What is something you like to do in May?
I love May! May brings forth all the beauty of the spring flowers, warm weather to walk, bike, and plant new gardens in, and at the end of the month, the kick-off to summer.
What do you enjoy about volunteering at SMILES?
I’m still so new at it but I do love the sense of genuine caring and community that has come from everyone I’ve met. It’s wonderful meeting new people who are happy and devoted to what they’re doing. The students are just great and I’m enjoying learning about and being with the horses. SMILES is an amazing organization and I feel lucky to be a part of it!
Is there anything else you'd like your fellow volunteers to know?
I’m most appreciative of all their help and direction.
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After almost nine years with SMILES, our Business and Events Coordinator, Liz Baumann, is moving on to a new opportunity! We wish her luck on her new adventure away from SMILES.
Though she will be missed by many, we are excited to wish her well on her next chapter! Be sure to come say good-bye soon! Her last day will be May 13th.
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Farewell, Good Luck and Best Wishes, Liz! |
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We are currently hiring for three different positions:
For more details, visit the
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Gloria Reed, May 3
Judy Adams, May 4
Terry Hankins, May 10
Alison Brown, May 18
Becky Dyckman, May 19
Sara Roth, May 21
Pat Walsh, May 25
Ken Monestero, May 25
Jerry Klobuchar, May 26
Beth Hanna, May 31
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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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