Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
Molinaro to fund construction of enclosed riding ring to be operated by Staten Island Recreation Association
Borough President Allocates $750,000 for Construction of Indoor Riding Ring to Expand SIRA’s Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program Year-Round
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Borough President James P. Molinaro today announced the allocation of $750,000 from his FY ‘07 capital budget in support of his commitment to fund the full cost of design and construction of an enclosed riding ring by the New York State Office of Parks, Preservation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) on a portion of property that State Parks acquired in 2002 from the South Beach Psychiatric Center.
The Staten Island Recreation Association (SIRA) has been caring for a portion of the property and providing public programming, including the highly-successful therapeutic horseback riding program, “Helping Others Overcome Physical Handicaps” (HOOPH). The enclosure that the Borough President is funding will make it possible for the therapeutic riding program to operate year-round.
Molinaro’s funding will be used by State Parks to construct a simple, enclosed riding ring to be operated by the not-for-profit under an agreement to be entered with State Parks. The facility will protect disabled riders against the elements and allow the
program to operate year-round.
“With winter just around the corner, the program closed down a few weeks ago, and the children were devastated; it was heartbreaking,” said Molinaro. “With an indoor riding facility, instructors will be able to work with their mentally-, physically-, and emotionally-challenged participants in bad weather and good, all year long. The success of this program has been remarkable, and I’m pleased to be able to support this essential service on Staten Island for children and adults alike.”
”We are grateful for the Borough President’s commitment to provide City funds to underwrite the full capital cost of this improvement to State Parks property,” said Mary Ellen Kris, Assistant Deputy Commissioner for the New York City Region of State Parks. “Besides providing critical support for the only licensed therapeutic riding program on Staten Island, the Borough President’s financial support for this project will serve as a catalyst for enhancing overall facilities, services and programs at this relatively new State Parks property in New York City. We look forward to a successful ongoing partnership with the Borough President, SIRA, and the community at large as we embark upon this project and a broader planning process for our Staten Island properties”
Megan Delmar, President of SIRA and Director of the HOOPH program, said, “We are very grateful to Borough President Molinaro for his generosity and vision. This project allows us to continue to provide Staten Island’s disabled population with a unique experience year-round. We have been very fortunate to have the support of the community, State Parks, and all of our elected officials. It’s truly heartwarming to see this concept brought to its fruition, and without Jim’s devotion and hard work, it would not be possible.”
Virginia Caravone, whose late husband founded SIRA in 1992, said, “One of my husband Lou’s proudest accomplishments, and close to his cowboy heart, was the founding of SIRA and its annual rodeos and horse shows. But he was determined to run a successful event using horses to help handicapped kids, and I’m very pleased that with Borough President Molinaro’s funding, Lou’s dream is coming true.”
HOOPH started as a pilot program last year, and has proven highly successful. Each week, more than 60 developmentally disabled children and adults from agencies such as Community Resources get a chance to experience therapeutic horseback riding, which has been found to provide significant benefits to the disabled since its inception in Europe in the 1950s. Participants tend to show improved flexibility, balance and muscle strength, as well as increased confidence.
The program currently is offered by SIRA from April through October on a portion of the State Park’s property on Father Capodanno Boulevard. This therapeutic riding program is the only program of its type on Staten Island that is sanctioned by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA). The program is conducted according to the strict guidelines of NARHA, the only licensing agency in the U.S. that trains and certifies instructors to work with the disabled.
For information about joining the program, call Megan Delmar at (718) 981-9251, or visit www.hooph.org.
November 8, 2006