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Ball celebrates the cowgirl way while rustling up some dollarsThe Forward Stride benefit aids its equine therapy program for disabled kids WILSONVILLE -- For the first hugs a developmentally disabled child dares to give a favorite horse. For the ride he takes up a sun-dappled trail. For the smile that grows more confident, the wave at a watching grandmother. For these moments and more, the cowgirls of Forward Stride -- a Wilsonville-based nonprofit group that primarily helps physically and developmentally disabled and chronically ill children through work with horses -- are clinking glasses in the Pearl District at an ambitious fundraiser on Saturday. And not a fussy, black-tie fundraiser. The Cowgirl Ball, which organizers expect to draw 300 people and to raise thousands of dollars for Forward Stride, will feature real horses and ponies, whiskey tasting, covered wagons, country music and dancing, and even a mechanical bull named Buck. Presiding over the affair will be former Gov. Barbara Roberts, who -- with tiara on head and Louis L'Amour novel in hand -- will be sworn in as Forward Stride's Cowgirl of the Year. "She's the first girl governor. What's not to love?" said Trisha Thompson, Forward Stride's executive director. The event is intended to honor the spirit of legendary cowgirls such as Mamie Sypert Burns of Texas as well as Forward Stride's clients, staff and volunteers. "Our core value is to be brave, and we learn that from the kids at Forward Stride every day," Thompson said. She and others have prepared for the fundraiser for months. The program struggles financially because class fees cover only a quarter of its operating costs, Thompson said. At the Cowgirl Ball, program leaders will be encouraging guests to help in any way that improves services to those in need. "We're going to say to people, 'Take an aspirin in the morning, then roll up your sleeves and go out and do some great work,' " Thompson said. Since 2003, Forward Stride has tried to do that by bringing its dozen horses and ponies into the lives of hundreds of children and teenagers, as well as some adults. Parents and guardians say they've seen their loved ones' abilities expand in the program. "I've never seen him do that before!" Linda Gengler of Sherwood said last week as her 4-year-old grandson, Jack Dorr, stood on a moving horse named Ladybug with the help of a physical therapist and two volunteers. Jack, looking up, shot his grandmother a look of wonder. His three lessons so far may have helped Jack, who has a neurological disorder, improve his balance and other skills, said his mother, Julie Dorr. "He rode his bike for the first time last week," she said. "And the best part, he seems to really enjoy it." In the middle of riding Ladybug backward, then sideways, then up a trail, where he plucked Hawaiian leis from tree branches and helped clip them on her mane, Jack stopped several times to lean down and hug her around the neck. "From (the children's) perspective, they're playing games and connecting with the horse," said Laurie Schick, a licensed physical therapist who followed Jack around the arena and up the trail. "And from my perspective, they're working the entire time," performing exercises to improve balance and motor control. Thompson said, "For some kids, it's their first experience of physical power." "Some are in wheelchairs and have never experienced that, and then when they are on a horse, they can not only run, they feel like they're flying," she said. "The sense of physical power is mind-boggling for them. It's extraordinary." That was the case for 16-year-old Natasha Bello of Canby, who loves horses and keeps as fit as possible through her work with them. Bello, who suffered a traumatic brain injury as an infant during a car accident, loves to leave her wheelchair to ride, said her mother, Julie Bello. "It's just fun -- they make it fun," Julie Bello said as her daughter rode around the arena in Wilsonville last week. "These are activities that are so important for her to do. It helps her motor control, her balance, her skills in listening to commands. She's improved in leaps and bounds." Copyright 2005 Oregon Live. All Rights Reserved. Return to Foward
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