| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to commend Chakota Therapeutic Riding | ||||||
| 4 | Center (Chakota-TRC), a community-based human service | ||||||
| 5 | organization in Germantown, for providing therapeutic | ||||||
| 6 | horseback riding for children and adults with disabilities; | ||||||
| 7 | and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, Chakota-TRC's mission is to provide individuals | ||||||
| 9 | with disabilities opportunities for therapeutic interaction | ||||||
| 10 | with horses to promote self-esteem, dignity, and emotional | ||||||
| 11 | well-being; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, Through extensive studies in the medical field, | ||||||
| 13 | therapeutic horseback riding has been proven to improve the | ||||||
| 14 | quality of life, health, and well-being of people with | ||||||
| 15 | disabilities; through therapeutic equine activities, riders | ||||||
| 16 | learn horsemanship skills, which stimulate physical, mental, | ||||||
| 17 | and emotional growth; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, Chakota-TRC's initial planning started as a | ||||||
| 19 | meeting to gauge the community's interest in 2005; the program | ||||||
| 20 | was created by a group of resolute individuals at LangMor | ||||||
| 21 | Stables, property owned by Dave and Kay Langenhorst that | ||||||
| 22 | became the home of the organization when its pilot program, | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | consisting of four riders, began in 2008; and | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, Chakota-TRC was incorporated in the State of | ||||||
| 3 | Illinois on June 18, 2007, achieving 501(c)(3) status after | ||||||
| 4 | several years of planning, training, and organizational | ||||||
| 5 | development in 2009; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Chakota-TRC's 11-acre facility was purchased by | ||||||
| 7 | the Davis Charitable Foundation and leased to the organization | ||||||
| 8 | in 2012, and the site includes a covered riding arena, hay | ||||||
| 9 | storage, stabling for up to nine horses, a hay field, a | ||||||
| 10 | pasture, paddocks, and an outdoor arena, all fully accessible; | ||||||
| 11 | and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, Chakota-TRC underwent a major change when Dave | ||||||
| 13 | Langenhorst retired as caretaker and moved off the property in | ||||||
| 14 | 2022, and its facility is now managed by a full-time employee | ||||||
| 15 | who lives on-site; and | ||||||
| 16 | WHEREAS, Chakota-TRC, due to an overwhelming response and | ||||||
| 17 | interest, has grown from four riders to now accommodating 24 | ||||||
| 18 | riders on a weekly schedule with a growing wait-list; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, Chakota-TRC is supported by volunteers and | ||||||
| 20 | individuals from the community who care about the program and | ||||||
| 21 | graciously volunteer their time, expertise, and enthusiasm to | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | help maintain and grow the program; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 2 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 3 | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 4 | we commend Chakota Therapeutic Riding Center (Chakota-TRC) for | ||||||
| 5 | its important work in providing therapeutic horseback riding | ||||||
| 6 | to children and adults with disabilities, and we wish the | ||||||
| 7 | organization continued success in advancing therapeutic | ||||||
| 8 | activities to improve the quality of life for individuals | ||||||
| 9 | living with disabilities; and be it further | ||||||
| 10 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 11 | presented to the Chakota-TRC as an expression of our esteem | ||||||
| 12 | and respect. | ||||||