It was an amazing day at the ranch as hordes of college students from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) exited their buses and set to work helping to make our ranch beautiful. These are no ordinary college students, but the best of the best, coming to us from colleges in several states.
Upon their arrival, we treated them to a demonstration of how our therapy works, with Cole (a rider with spastic Cerebral Palsy) showing off his riding skills, and his mother explaining how much improvement he has made in a very short time. Cole and his dog stayed on to entertain the NSCS students while they worked.
After the demonstration (which was given HUGE applause), the students divided into work teams. One team cleaned out our therapy room and got it ready for use. Another team pulled weeds in the arenas. Still another team cut the low branches on the trees around the ranch, so we can ride under them. There was a team to clean out and organize the tack room, and one that did an amazing job in turning our cluttered tool room into an unbelievably organized space. They even put up a flag holder on the outside of the office. They brought their own water and treats, and then thanked US for the opportunity to help!
The day passed all too quickly, and we were sorry to see these wonderful students leave. They have promised to come back again, and we hope that next time they are able to see more of what we do. They have inspired us, and we hope we inspired them as well. They certainly left us with a much more beautiful ranch. Thank you, to all the wonderful NSCS students from all our wonderful Strides students, volunteers and staff.
