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PARDS
The
News From
rhood
“Neigh”bou
FUND RIDE pledge packages are available at the PARDS
office as well as Keddie’s Tack and Western Wear or
Greenhawk Equestrian & Harness Supplies.
The FUND RIDE is a major fund raiser for PARDS and a
day filled with fun, fantastic prizes and great partnership
between riders, staff and community!
See next page for more details...
April
May
June
April 3
Good Friday Office Closed
May 16&17
No Public Lessons
April 4&5
No Public Lessons
May 18
Victoria Day - Office Closed
June 6
30th Annual FUND RIDE &
COMMUNITY CARNIVAL
April 6-9
No Therapeutic Lessons
May 18 - 21
No Therapeutic Lessons
April 8 @ 6:00pm
Volunteer Orientation Clinic
May 26
Annual General Meeting
April 11&12 Public Lessons
Session 5 Begins
April 16
Youth Leadership Session 5
Begins
June 12
Volunteer Appreciation BBQ
June 15 - 18
Week 1 Adult Summer Camp
June 29 - July 3
Camp Tamerack Horse Camp
Join us for PARDS 30th Annual Fund Ride at our new facility site, NE of Evergreen Park.
The Fund Ride is for horseback enthusiasts, bikers and hikers of all ages. This is a fun, activity filled
day for individuals, families, business groups and organizations who want to make a difference in
their community, supporting the riders of Peace Area Riding for the Disabled Society (PARDS).
We will also be hosting a Community Carnival with games, face painting, pony rides and, of course,
great food, making this a community event for the whole family to enjoy!
For information on volunteering, registering a team, collecting pledges, donating or about the day,
call us at 780-538-3211, email info@ pards.ca or check us out online at www.pards.ca.
All funds raised support PARDS riders through program funding as well as training opportunities for
our instructors so we can continue to offer the most innovative and up-to-date equine assisted
At PARDS’ Summer Day Camp, you will enjoy daily riding lessons, training in essential horse care,
horse knowledge, games, crafts and most importantly, fun!
Your lesson will include grooming, tacking, riding and un-tacking. PARDS will provide you with an
instructor, a horse and all necessary tack and equipment for the horse. All riders are required to
wear a ASTM/SEI certified riding helmet.
Required forms include: registration, rider questionnaire and membership. If a rider has been
diagnosed with any physical disability or Down Syndrome, a physician’s release is also required.
Please contact our office for more information and to access this form.
Registration forms are available on our website at www.pards.ca or at the PARDS office.
CAMP DATES
Week 1 July 20 - 24
Week 2 July 27 - 31
Week 3 August 10 - 14
Week 4 August 17 - 21
Week 5 August 24 - 28
Cost is $350.00 per week and a 2015 membership; $10.00 individual/$20.00 family
Spaces are limited and are confirmed with payment in full
and a completed registration form
The Importance of Mentors in the Youth Leadership Program
Our Youth Leadership Program is for children and adolescents, ages 10-17, who would like to learn more
about themselves, their perception of others and how they interact with the world around them. The program
assists youth in acquiring self-awareness, increasing problem solving skills, advancing communication skills,
achieving positive relationships, family dynamics, and building leadership, conflict resolution, and
collaboration skills. The objective is to introduce children and youth at risk of entering the justice system/child
welfare, dropping out of school etc. to a non-traditional approach to develop these skills.
The Youth Leadership Program utilize a facilitator, an equine partner, and a mentor for each client.
Why are Mentors so important to our program, and the youth that we serve?
There are several studies that examine the importance of mentors for youth with various risk profiles.
The 2013 study “The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk
Profiles,” examined mentoring program relationships, experiences and benefits for higher-risk youth, and
among the findings determined:
The strongest program benefit, and most consistent across risk groups, was a reduction in depressive
symptoms — a particularly noteworthy finding given that almost one in four youth reported worrisome
levels of these symptoms at baseline.
Findings also suggested gains in social acceptance, academic attitudes and grades.
In addition to benefits in specific domains, mentored youth also experienced gains in a greater number of
outcomes than youth in the comparison group.
Children between 9 and 15 are commonly at important turning points in their lives. It is during this time that
they may permanently turn off from serious engagement in school life and turn to a variety of risky behaviors
that can limit their chances of reaching productive adulthood. Encouragingly, this is also the age bracket
during which preventative intervention is most successful and youth are most capable of envisioning a
positive future and plotting the steps they need to take to reach their goals. They are at the right stage of
development to best absorb and benefit from the skills of a strong mentor (Rhodes and Lowe, 2008).
Our volunteer mentors offer a considerable amount of time to PARDS and the youth that we serve. On
average, PARDS uses 180 hours of volunteer time throughout the year just to run the Youth Leadership
session. We couldn’t run the program without them. We are so thankful to have such caring, compassionate
volunteer mentors as part of our team.
By Stephanie Golder CTRII
Youth Leadership
Program Partners
I have had the pleasure of teaching Liam since September 2014.
Liam has been riding Servus for the majority of the time and they
have become an awesome team!! When I first started teaching Liam
we always had our great volunteer Megan helping out with leading
for the whole lesson. From very early on I could tell that Liam was a
great student and was learning very quick and that he would be
riding independently at a walk in no time. And he definitely proved
me right!! Once we got to know each other and made a few tack
changes, which included switching to the loop reins, Liam was off on
his own!! Liam started off with simple ring figures and quickly
progressed to being able to guide Servus through more difficult
patterns and maneuver through some fairly complex courses and
obstacles. However one of Liam’s favorite things to do is trot!! With
the help of volunteer Megan leading and myself side walking we
always end each lesson with some trotting. Liam just lights right up
Liam Burke & Servus
and is always full of laughter and giggles, his Mom can even usually
hear him from inside the lounge! I look forward to my lesson with Liam each week as he is always in
a good mood lifting the spirits of everyone around him and always making us laugh! Liam is a very
kind hearted person and also treats Servus with the same good nature; I look forward to seeing
what else this great team can accomplish!
By Ashley Schadeck CTRAI
Hello; my registered name is Jinx King Leo Bar, but around
PARDS I’m just “Jinx”.
I am the newest addition to the PARDS family. I was donated by
Alex Figel in memory of his wife Barbara.
I am a red dun quarter horse gelding and I will be 15 years old on
May 17th. You can distinguish me from the rest of the herd by the
white blaze on my forehead and my wine glass brand on my right
hip. And my cup runneth over with happiness, being a part of
PARDS
I have experience in jumping, dressage, gymkhana and reining. This diverse
background gives me the versatility to be involved with a number of riders, each with different abilities and
goals.
I am looking forward to this next stage of my life and anticipate a long and happy career at PARDS;
working with the riders to achieve their goals.
By Jinx with help from Britney Goebel
Thank you to the City of Grande Prairie, PARDS newest project partner, for their
recent contribution of $300,000.00 toward our New Facility project.
This investment will generate a solid return through a stronger, healthier community
benefitting from innovative, high quality Animal Assisted Therapeutic Programs.
Thank you so much for your commitment to support community members of all
abilities!
J.R. Paine & Associates
Vaughn Kenney
Grande Prairie Volunteer Service Bureau
Harry’s Auto Wrecking
Finding herself with spare time Shauna Wells sought out a
meaningful activity, so when a friend suggested that she
volunteer at Peace Area Riding for the Disabled Society
(P.A.R.D.S) she jumped at the chance because “it sounded
like a fun idea.” Right away she could see that the
organization really cared about the horses:
“I was impressed with the way the staff treated their horses
with individual care and catered to their needs,” says
Shauna. After witnessing the staff’s demeanour and the
positive atmosphere, Shauna committed herself to
volunteering with P.A.R.D.S and even enrolled her own
horse into the program. "Enrolling my former horse Molson
in the lesson program was very rewarding for both of us,
and seeing his success is unbeatable!” says Shauna.
Her first volunteer experience was with sidewalk lessons;
this requires the volunteers to assist the rider mount the
horse and walk alongside the rider to ensure the rider
maintains good stability and balance throughout the lesson.
She describes being nervous when first introduced to this position but quickly fell in love with it as
it allowed her to interact with the students. As she became more comfortable with the volunteer
role Shauna began to take on more positions becoming one of the most flexible volunteers within
the organization. Aside from side-walking “Shauna volunteers in the barn, cleaning stalls and
training with horses. She also shares her photography skills with P.A.R.D.S and takes photos
when needed,” says P.A.R.D.S Volunteer Coordinator Robyn adding she is “a great model and
mentor for other volunteers just starting on our team. She is friendly and helpful to new
volunteers.”
Having been a new volunteer herself, Shauna understands the challenges of balancing personal
and volunteer schedules. She admits that the fast pace of the lessons can also be a deterrent for
potential volunteers, but she finds the benefits of volunteering with P.A.R.D.S to be worthwhile:
“It’s always something I look forward to all week, it always brings me a feeling of purpose,” says
Shauna.
Her passion for the organization has only multiplied with exposure to the amazing students. “I think
people are becoming more capable of seeing the disabled as fellow citizens now more than ever.
Awareness of mental health campaigns helps people understand the cause more,” Shauna
explains. She sees the move to a new facility as an opportunity for both the organization and the
clients as it will offer limitless possibilities for growth. Shauna hopes that with the move others will
join the cause and become volunteers: “P.A.R.D.S needs help in many aspects, not just in
lessons, so there are ways for those terrified of horses to comfortably get involved through
fundraising and the like.”
For Shauna, P.A.R.D.S has become an integral part of her life, so much so that she claims
“volunteering [with P.A.R.D.S] has shaped who I am now.” Her commitment over the past few
years has allowed her to create a second home within the organization so that she finds herself
spending all her extra time at P.A.R.D.S riding her own horse Moonbeam, or offering assistance
where needed. She encourages all potential volunteers to “go for it” claiming that “it’s incredibly
fulfilling. There’s nothing like it!”
Congratulations to Deb Attwood
Volunteer Service Bureau Volunteer of the Month
Here’s a look back at why PARDS first nominated Deb
as one of their Volunteers of the Week
Deb Attwood, owner of Healing Elements, is a Registered Massage Therapist,
Myofascial Release & Reiki Practitioner. Each week Deb offers massage to our
horses; assisting in providing them with the strength and flexibility they need to
perform their very best at their job as a therapeutic lesson horse. Thank you
Deb, we truly appreciate the time you spend with the herd!
This is Amanda’s second year volunteering with PARDS. She is a dedicated
side walker and also helps in some of our fundraising events. She proved her
glitter tattoo skills as well at the Grande Prairie Stompede PARDS booth last
summer. Thank you for being part of our volunteer team!
This is Danielle’s second year volunteering as a horse leader in lessons , she
also volunteers with birthday parties and has been on the Dine & Dance
committee 2 years in a row helping with one of our biggest fundraisers of the
year . Thank you Danielle for being on our team of volunteers, we really
appreciate your positivity in the lessons and your willingness to help out in
other areas throughout the year!
Sally volunteers each week with the barn work, cleaning the stalls, turning out
the horses or anything else that need to be done. . Sally is also always willing
to jump into a lesson if we need her. Thank you Sally for volunteering with us
we have been so lucky to meet you!
PARDS submits nominees for Tim Horton’s Rock Star of the Week through The Grande Prairie Volunteer Services
We couldn’t have done it without you!
We would like to thank everyone who helped with the Dream Home
ticket sales at the mall these past 3 weeks. Depending on ticket
sales, PARDS can receive up to $10,000.00. Our volunteers gave
many hours of their personal time to make this happen and we
greatly appreciate it!
During our PARDS Summer Camps we are hoping for our riders to make key chains out of
horse hair from the horse they rode during camp week. We are looking for a number of items to
make these and other craft items would be greatly appreciated.
Items we are looking for are:
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Beads
Split Rings
Charms
General craft items:
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Popsicle sticks
Crayons
Craft foam
Craft paint
Glue sticks
Our Equine Wish List:
 Lead ropes
 Nylon halters
 English bridles
 English saddle pads
 Western saddle pads
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ASTM/SEI certified riding helmets
Would you like to receive PARDS’ newsletter right to your e-mail?
Send your e-mail address to lessons@pards.ca
to be added to the mail out list or visit our website and sign up there.
Visit our website at
WWW.PARDS.CA
You can also keep up with other news by liking us on
facebook or following us on twitter
PARDS Merchandise ~ Great ideas to support PARDS
Items can be personalized with a rider/horse picture
Order forms available at the office
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Available with name
OTHER ITEMS ALSO AVAILABLE
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Postcard magnets
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Mouse Pads
Posters
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