The Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program (NVTRP) has announced that Washington Capitals Head Coach Barry Trotz and his wife, Kim, will serve as the honorary co-chairs of its Build to Thrive capital campaign.
Thanks to a $1 million grant from the O’Shaughnessy-Hurst Memorial Foundation, NVTRP was able to purchase its permanent home, a 17-acre property on which it currently operates in Clifton, VA. The Build to Thrive campaign plans to underwrite a whole-scale capital improvement project, including the construction of an indoor riding arena.
“We are proud to serve as the Honorary Co-Chairs of Build to Thrive. Thanks to this effort, each year hundreds of people with disabilities and recovering military personnel will get to experience new opportunities to thrive. To heal. To become more independent. To experience joy. And so much more. We sincerely hope you can join us in making Build to Thrive a reality,” said Coach Trotz.
The Trotz Family has been involved with NVTRP for the past year and a half. “Our son, Nolan (who was born with Down Syndrome), has been a rider at NVTRP for three sessions now. Therapeutic riding can result in very positive outcomes for children with special needs. It helps facilitate increased flexibility, muscle tone and posture. Also, the interaction between horse, rider, and walker lead to a sense of accomplishment and control the child may not feel outside the ring,” said Kim Trotz. “We are honored to serve in this capacity and help raise awareness for the benefits of equine-assisted activities.”
In order to meet the growing demand for its services and to provide an enhanced experience for current riders, NVTRP’s improvement project will include construction of an indoor riding arena, development of a new and improved outdoor arena, expanded parking, a fully accessible playground and expansive infrastructure improvements.
NVTRP provides equine-assisted activities to 250 unique riders each year. The waiting list for therapeutic riding currently stands at over a year, and for hippotherapy almost two years.
About NVTRP: Originally chartered in 1980, NVTRP is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing equine-assisted activities to children and adults with disabilities, youth-at-risk, military service personnel and their families in an inclusive, community setting. Learning to ride and care for a horse not only improves the physical health of a rider but also generates a critically important sense of accomplishment. Riders participating at NVTRP represent a range of disabilities including attention deficit disorder, autism, cerebral palsy, developmental disabilities, vision and hearing impairments and genetic syndromes. NVTRP is Premier Center accredited by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.), and a member of the Therapeutic Riding Association of Virginia (TRAV). NVTRP is located in Clifton, VA.
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