Contact Excelsior

First Name:
Last Name:
Telephone:
Email:
Comment:

I would like information on the following:
Admissions
Treatment
Employment
Donating
Other

Any information collected from inquiries remains confidential to Excelsior.

Return to Home

What's New

Excelsior Girls Back in the Saddle!

By Kathy Graveley, Director of Development

Thanks to the call to action in early December from Alan Gionet's television feature story on CBS Channel 4 News, our Excelsior girls can look forward to another year of this unique and effective therapy.

Television viewers from up and down the front range and even from New Zealand responded by contributing nearly $12,000 to keep the program alive. This will provide for at least 4 more 10-week sessions for 40 girls to participate.

"Thankfully, these gifts helped us restore the program in 2012. THANK YOU to all of our generous donors," said Joan Gabrielson, Executive Director.

KINGERY EQUINE THERAPY:

Founded 15 years ago, the program takes the girls to Horseback Miracles in Perry Park Ranch once a week for a half-day outing. The girls are paired with a horse and are taught how to guide, care for and groom the animal. Effective communication with a horse involves patience, understanding, attention, forgiveness and consistency - skills that Excelsior students often lack. The girl forms a unique relationship with her horse, helping to increase her confidence and self-esteem. She develops a sense of trust, responsibility and better coping skills. One student who was physically abused as a young girl and now battles a physical illness, credits much of her recovery to Excelsior's equine therapy.

Disappointingly, Equine Therapy was suspended in December until outside financial assistance was secured. With the economic uneasiness, the Center cut back on additional therapeutic activities despite their effectiveness. It costs Excelsior nearly $250 per girl, per session to participate in the Kingery Equine Therapy Program: $ 2,500 funds 10 girls to participate in the therapeutic riding program; $ 1,000 provides funding for 4 girls to take part; and $250 sends one girl to a 10-week therapy session.

Tisha Jackson, Excelsior therapist, says the program has very positive results for the girls. She and two students shared their heart felt stories with Alan Gionet and his film crew on a cold yet sunny afternoon at the ranch. Soon after the tv feature aired, the donations started. "Here's to Granpa Pinky, the best cowboy EVER," wrote one of the Greeley donors in memory of their beloved grandfather. A trustee of The Hadley & Marion Stuart Foundation viewed the piece and days later approved a $10,000 donation to ensure the program continued for 4 more sessions. Acme Cleaning Company donated back their Excelsior carpet cleaning fee to put toward equine expenses. There are lots of stories that suggest the equine therapy program touched their hearts.

Our Excelsior girls work hard at Excelsior to imagine a better life for themselves as they overcome trauma, improve in school, find a job, gain confidence, hope for a better future, and stay safe. The Kingery Equine Therapy program helps girls to imagine and create a life where they can trust people around them, and in turn, trust themselves.

"Equine therapy helps our students," says Brittany, Excelsior student. "And I feel it helps a lot of the students out with their treatment. Thanks to Alan Gionet and Channel 4 for saving our equine program. Those guys are awesome!"