Cowra Riding for the Disabled (RDA) wrapped up for the year at its annual open day on November 14.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The day offered the opportunity for parents, carers and sponsors to attend and see the weekly program.
Felicity Weal, one of the program’s regular attendees, said it was fantastic see the program going so well.
“RDA in Cowra is one of the biggest in the area which is quite surprising for a small town,” she said.
“But if you come down and look at the program, there is quite a number of kids that come.
“Each time I come every kid has a smile on their face and to get that every day is just incredible,” she said.
Ms Weal put the success of Cowra’s RDA down to the volunteers and sponsors who helped run the program.
“The volunteers are amazing they are really helpful and just help you in anyway they can,” she said.
“They’ll do anything to make sure you have a good day, some days I come thinking maybe it’s not going to be a good day, but the volunteers just take it out of my hands and make it good.
“And without the sponsors it (RDA) wouldn’t run, especially in the dry times. It’s not just feed but saddles, saddle cloths, brushes, general maintenance of the horses and their well being.
“Without the sponsors they wouldn’t have as many horses, which wouldn’t allow as many kids to come and it would be a vicious circle,” she said.
It is a sentiment supported by Cowra RDA President, David Hawkins, who thanked the volunteers and sponsors for their support in 2018.
“In the last 12 months Cowra RDA has gone from strength to strength,” he said.
“It all comes down to the volunteers and sponsors. Without the great volunteer work force we have we wouldn’t get anything done and our sponsors allow us to run this program in a very dry year.
“The kids, the enjoyment they get and the smile on there faces is why we do this and why everyone comes back each week,” he said.
Both Ms Weal and Mr Hawkins said the organisation could never have enough volunteers.
“You see the volunteers have a joke with the kids and parents and it’s incredible,” Ms Weal said.
“So if you’re not doing anything on Wednesday’s come down and volunteer. It’s three volunteers to a horse while a kid is riding, that’s quite a lot especially when it’s the biggest in the area, it involves three times the volunteers.”
Cowra RDA will continue to fundraise in the off season holding barbecues at Bunnings on the second Saturday of the month in January, February and March.
