This page sponsored in part by:




Home
(email questions/comments to wrightted@aol.com).
Ted Wright -- last update 9/7/2006 (ChamberSep7.html) www.cvilleok.com

Copyright 2006 -- Collinsville, Oklahoma

Collinsville Chamber of Commerce
Sept. 7, 2006
Theraputic Horseback Riding Nearby
This web site is brought to you by the Newspaper Museum In Collinsville and the other advertisers appearing on these pages. If you would like to provide content or advertisements ...
call Ted Wright (918) 371-1901 or send email to wrightted@aol.com.
Google
Web www.cvilleok.com
Chamber Has Scheduled
Fall Festival Oct. 14th

Undated info from the RSU web: "RSU has initiated a $2.2 million fundraising campaign to build an off-campus equestrian center that will house the Bit by Bit Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program and the RSU Rodeo Team. The Frank and Wanda Sanders Family Trust donated 23 acres of land for the facility, which will be located just off U.S. Highway 169 five miles south of Oologah. Bit by Bit is a cooperative program between RSU and Oologah-Talala Public Schools to promote physical and mental health for disabled children and adults through horseback riding."
Linda Barron, Director of the RSU Bit-By-Bit Program, addressed the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce Sept. 7, 2006.
The new equestrian facility is located between Collinsville and Oologah on Highway 169. The drawings show what the facility will look like when all phases of construction complete.

As Linda Barron described her work with special needs children and their interaction with the horses at the Bit-By-Bit program at Rogers State University, her passion was obvious. The program has been active for over 10 years and had been on campus at RSU in Claremore in a former Oklahoma Military Acadamy building there. As RSU has transitioned from a 2-year to a 4-year University the growth on campus (fastest growing university in Oklahoma with a 67% increase in enrollment this year) had them looking for a new location for their non-traditional program. Linda thanked Wanda Sanders in particular and many others for making the new facility northeast of Collinsville a reality.

The special needs children "always succeed" at Bit-By-Bit and it has a hugh positive impact on the kids and their families. Volunteers are always needed as it takes a "team" for each rider including the horse handler and a spotter on each side of the horse to assist the child. The new facility can also host livestock shows, rodeos and other community and university events.