Enrich artists Caitlin Thomas and Kathleen Bayer with Riding for the Disabled head coach Rosalie Rea, and horse Echo.
Artists from Enrich Plus have raised close to $500 in support of Te Awamutu’s Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA).
“It is great to be able to contribute to another community organisation, they just do some wonderful things for the community,” said Enrich Plus service manager Shelley Blair.
In September Enrich held an art fundraiser which “celebrated the artistic talents of people in the disability community”.
Artists from the Enrich Plus Art Centre and Gallery sold their artworks in a gallery and gave a portion of their profits to the Te Awamutu RDA.
“We asked the artists if they wanted to contribute and give back to the community, and they said yes,” said Blair.
A total of $450 was raised for RDA.
“It was a huge success, and people weren’t just taking one or two pieces of art,” said Blair.
The fundraising initiative was organised by Enrich Plus art and craft coordinator Teresa Siemonek and support person Kim Potroz.
Riding for the Disabled head coach Rosalie Rea, who bought two pieces of art for herself, said she didn’t expect such a large amount to be raised when the total was shared with her last week.
Some of the artworks were inspired by a Van Gogh exhibition, which the Enrich artists visited in Auckland last year.
Artists Kathleen Bayer and Caitlin Thomas both had their artworks sell. Bayer painted ‘Sunny Flowers’, and Thomas painted ‘Two Cats’.
Bayer, despite being afraid of horses, said that it was good they could help RDA “shelter these horses so people can ride on them.”
The RDA has nine horses in total, including Echo, a black Clydesdale cross, who was recruited just last month.
They have 40 active riders, the youngest is two, and their oldest is over 50.
Rea said that they use horse riding to help people overcome the various obstacles they may face.
“It gives them confidence, self-esteem, it gives them balance, it gives them trust.”
