Benefit rounds up fun, funding

Stick horses, fried pickles and a pitchfork barbecue combine to raise dollars and round up some fun Saturday evening at Rebecca Farm.

The fourth annual barbecue and auction support Human Therapy on Horseback. The program uses horses to move children and adults from disabilities to new abilities.

Since 1997, a nonprofit organization has worked to keep this therapy available. The fund-raiser plays a major role in keeping the horse/human magic alive for another year.

Festivities begin at 5 p.m. at Rebecca Farm, at Farm-to-Market and Spring Creek roads. Dinner is served at 6:15 p.m., and the auction of donated items begins at 7 p.m.

"We have everything from a ton of hay to five days at Meadow Lake Golf Resort with 18 holes of golf each day," said Timi Burmood, co-founder of the horse-therapy program.

Burmood said items in this year's auction includes 16 stick horses designed by local artists. She said the idea started as a stick-horse race to raise money.

"Basically, we're just too old for that," she said with a laugh.

Instead, she contacted 16 local artists and provided a basic stick horse for each to decorate. Burmood asked each artist to dedicate the work to a person with a mental or physical challenge.

She held up a colorful horse sporting a red chapeau as a salute to the Red Hat Society. Created by Alice Martin, the horse honors her mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

Another horse had its generic stick-horse head replaced with an elegantly carved, full-dimensional head by artist Linda Katsuda.

"Every one is so different," Burmood said.

Other horses are on display at Books West and Kalispell Center Mall.

For the ticket price of $35 a person or $60 a couple, participants get to sample the unique pitchfork-barbecue cooking of caterers from Bigfork Fondue.

The meal includes the chef's popular fried dill pickles.

"Everybody who has had it says its fabulous," Burmood said with a laugh.

For entertainment, the organization tapped Cold Creek Band, a group offering a broad repertoire of musical genres.

Burmood said the nonprofit group set a goal to raise $60,000 to support 30 people for a year of human/horse therapy. She said insurance companies don't cover the cost of the therapy.

The program serves patients ages 8 months to 80 years with conditions such as cerebral palsy, cognitive delay, Down syndrome, Lou Gehrig's disease, multiple sclerosis, head trauma and more.

"We've had a huge influx of kids with autism," she said. "Sadly, there are also more kids with post-traumatic-shock syndrome."

A specially built ramp allows people in wheelchairs to participate.

Benefits of the horseback riding include muscle strengthening as well as improving sensory processing, communication, coordination, endurance, behavior and self-esteem.

Human Therapy on Horseback serves 38 people. Some participate twice a month while others come twice a week to the heated indoor arena.

Burmood said the child involved in an accident on Halloween night that killed his mother has made "incredible progress" as a result of the therapy.

These success stories keep Burmood and her husband, Bob, determined to keep horses connected to these special humans.

"I will do whatever I can to keep the funds flowing," she said. "Ninety-eight percent of the funds go to riders."

Because the dinner auction occurs Saturday evening, Burmood encourages people to come to Rebecca Farm after the Blue Angels exhibition. Tickets are available at Books West or at the door.

Volunteers also will deliver tickets to people who leave a voice mail at 881-4192.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.