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APRIL 2003 ARABIAN HORSE ISSUE |
CONTENTS |
Hearts, Health,
Healing and `Horses'? It's been said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. As a species, humans find much pleasure in the savor of good meat and tantalizing desserts. The only thing that could top a good `prime rib dinner' would be a prime rib dinner that not only satisfied man's cravings for such, but also provided health and the healing of children's hearts. Stay tuned, as you will soon learn what prime rib has to do with hearts, health, healing and horses
Nearly 7 years ago, Spokane inner-city youth began being introduced to a different way of life. While their home and neighborhood environments were amongst busy city streets and tall buildings, they ventured to try an alternative lifestyle and set of choices. These alternative lifestyles and choices incorporated adult mentoring, education, confidence, responsibility, rural living and horses into their lives. How did this happen? Quite simply by the efforts of a youth outreach program, now known to over 300 Spokane area youth as `Changing Our Lives Together', a.k.a. `C.O.L.T.'. Founded in 1997 in Spokane's own backyard, C.O.L.T. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging positive youth development while providing effective substance abuse and crime prevention education. With an 88.5% graduation rate, C.O.L.T. truly captivates the hearts and minds of youth with it's multi-layered `primary prevention curriculum'. Unique to C.O.L.T. from other prevention programs in Spokane is a compelling component that encourages emotional and spiritual healing. This component has four legs, big beautiful eyes, a powerful body, a long tail and weighs upwards of 1200 lbs. Research proven, horses have been aiding victims in overall health and healing for decades. This includes those healing from all forms of abuse, traumatic experiences, emotional disorders, substance abuse, ADD/ADHD and depression. The Washington State Quarter Horse Association and the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council proudly endorse the C.O.L.T. program. In addition to this prominent support, Spokane C.O.P.S., Spokane School District #81, Gonzaga University and Gonzaga Preparatory School have been committed partners in providing this exceptional program to Spokane youth. Most recently, the Student Chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, (AAEP) at Washington State University has gotten involved by aiding C.O.L.T. in its equine health care and maintenance needs.
Also of important note, the nationally distributed Horse & Rider magazine became interested in the dynamics and success of C.O.L.T. This resulted in a featured article about the program in their February 2002 issue. The article caught the attention of numerous communities across the country. Due to this nation wide exposure, C.O.L.T. has become a national model for other youth programs- being duplicated in several other states, to include British Columbia, Canada. The collaborative effort of all these outstanding organizations, and the many, many wonderful volunteers and sponsors of C.O.L.T. has allowed this successful prevention program to grow not only is size, but in superb quality and assimilation of it's agenda. Because C.O.L.T. is non-profit, the program relies upon community and fundraiser support to operate. With its tremendous growth and Spokane's even faster growing need for effective prevention programs, C.O.L.T. now humbly appeals to you, the reader, for your support. Often it seems as a community we are being `hit up' left and right for support of some kind or other. There is no way to camouflage this plea as being any different. Quite simply put, C.O.L.T. needs financial support from Spokane in order to provide it's extraordinary program to our youth. Recently our local paper printed an article about a 13-year old that was found making meth in a meth lab, right here in Spokane. Every day we read about the horrific effects that drugs and alcohol have on the lives of our children. On January 24th, 2003, it was also reported with an average greater than 40%, Spokane is way above the state average of 28% of high school students that binge drink, smoke and abuse drugs. We, the community need to help our children STOP believing this is an acceptable way of life, and instead show them how this is and will destroy their lives. With these types of statistics, its obvious that Spokane needs all the help it can get to prevent these figures from going up. This further validates the tremendous need for programs such as C.O.L.T. Consider this: the cost of one child being involved in C.O.L.T. for an entire year is less than what it costs us as taxpayers for one child to be held in Juvenile Detention for just one week. But wait; there is an even greater savings to our society. Realize that for every child C.O.L.T. reaches and influences to be substance abuse and crime free, is in the end more importantly saving a child from what could become a lifetime of pain, despair and even literal destruction. With that, saving one life means ultimately saving infinite generations from the pain and family dysfunction that always accompanies substance abuse and crime. How can you help?
C.O.L.T. invites you to participate in its First Annual Benefit Dinner and Auction, boasting a fabulous prime rib and chicken feast. So you see, the only thing that could top a good `prime rib dinner' would be a prime rib dinner that not only satisfied man's cravings for such, but also provided health and the healing of children's hearts. Our children. The children of Spokane, Washington! C.O.L.T. is currently selling raffle tickets for the 4-year-old Bay Tri-colored registered paint filly shown in this article. `Ms Poco Bar Robinette' is green-broke and of Painted Robin and Sir Quincy Dan breeding. She was born to and raised by the C.O.L.T. program participants. Drawing for this filly will be at the C.O.L.T. Benefit Dinner and Auction, roughly 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.00 each and you need not be present to win. Don't wait, tickets are limited to 500. (See details below as to how you can purchase your raffle and Dinner tickets.) Changing Our Lives Together, C.O.L.T., `Black Tie & Blue Jeans' Benefit Dinner & Auction is being held at Barbieri Student Center at Gonzaga Prep * Saturday May 3, 2003. Silent Auction begins 5:00 p.m. * Dinner at 6:45 p.m. * Live Auction 7:30 p.m. Prime Rib and Chicken Dinner with all the fixins! $25.00 Individual Ticket. $200.00 for table of 10 Tickets. Tickets are limited so order yours today! To Purchase Your Raffle or Dinner & Auction Tickets call: Sara Lesher, 509-926-2276. Marla Warnecke, 509-291-3816 or e-mail: coltspokane@icehouse.net C.O.L.T embraces the issues of teen substance abuse, gang involvement and violence, with a positive, unique approach. Sincere volunteers, education, equine therapy and a family-like atmosphere rope children from at-risk neighborhoods into a world beyond their streets. Please visit the C.O.L.T. website at www.icehouse.net/coltspokane for a complete overview of Spokane's most unique substance abuse prevention program that utilizes horses to heal the hearts of children! "It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there will be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no fruit." - Gandhi For more information on the C.O.L.T. program, please contact Sara Lesher, 509-926-2276, e-mail: coltspokane@icehouse.net |
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