Lachlan, 8, gets ready to ride at the Riding for the Disabled centre in Officer.
By Matt Trotman
THE horses may have only been walking, but the riders were smiling like they had won the Melbourne Cup.
The smiles were in response to a $1500 donation made to the Officer Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) Centre on behalf of the Pakenham Racing Club.
Officer RDA is attempting to raise $6000 in order to make its centre more easily sustainable.
RDA is a notforprofit voluntary organisation that operates 38 centres across Victoria and caters for more than 1100 riders.
It provides an opportunity for people from all disability groups to participate in safe, therapeutic and recreational sport.
Joanne Silcock of RDA said the money provided by the racing club would go a long way to helping the organisation to continue to function.
“One of our volunteers from Officer approached the club for a donation and they agreed to come along and hand over a cheque for $1500,” she said.
“The money will help to provide muchneeded infrastructure like water, sand and general facilities.”
Ms Silcock said the centre was currently buying and carting water to the property for the 21 horses, and the organisation required money to build a selfsufficient water supply.
The RDA also needs to replace temporary fencing with more permanent secure fencing.
Ms Silcock said Pakenham Racing Club chairman Don Duffy was very impressed with the work the Officer RDA was doing for local disabled youth.
“After attending the centre the chairman rang and said he would be very interested in helping out in the future,” she said.
Ms Silcock said any donations made to the centre would be an enormous help.
“We are very grateful to the racing club for their generous contribution,” she said.
“We still need to raise some money to get to our target of $6000 so I would implore anyone else who is interested in helping out to get in contact with us.”
For further information or to donate call Anne on 5940 3250.
