Boots, Buckles, and Pearls Benefit Sonrisas

Great Music from the Bellamy Brothers and lots more at the Sonrisas Trails Therapeutic Riding Boots, Buckles, and Pearls on Friday, April 21st!

Presented by Sonora Bank, the Boots, Buckles & Pearls will be at the 1st Community Credit Union Spur Arena beginning at 6:30. Enjoy a delicious steak dinner, the chance to bid on great items during the live and silent auctions, and more for $75.00 per person. Tickets are on sale now at sonrisasriding.org or by calling 325-949-4837. Sonrisas is a secular, non-profit 501c(3) organization. They were created in 1983 as a project of the Junior League and became incorporated in 1987. Sonrisas offers therapeutic horseback riding to those with physical, mental, and emotional challenges through a carefully structured program of equine activities. Sonrisas charges nothing for services to the school program.  They do have a small fee of $20/ride for Mosaic Clients and $40/ride for non-Mosaic clients. Most riders come from SAISD schools, including the PPCD (preschool program for children with disabilities) programs. Riders are also received from the Small Schools Cooperative. Starting in the Fall of 2015 they began accepting  riders over age 12 to senior citizens.  Most of them come through Mosaic.  Sonrisas can accept any rider that fits their criteria as long as there is an opening.  They have added 1 additional day and 5 additional riding sessions. They serve over 95 riders each session with emotional, physical, and/or mental challenges. All of the riders are challenged; Sonrisas is the only local therapeutic riding center with this sole population. Their riders have a myriad of challenges, including sight and/or hearing impairments, ADD, ADHD, Spina bifida, speech-language delay, MS, Lou Gherig's Disease, MD, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, emotional and behavioral disorders, and intellectual disabilities. There is one full time employee, a Public Relations Director, 3 part-time employees, a stock manager, and two PATH-certified riding instructors.. In addition to the paid staff, volunteers are the core of the Sonrisas program. Sonrisas is funded by private and corporate donations as well as fundraisers and grants.