Riding Arena Now Fends Off The Heat

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Manawale’a Riding Center opened its new covered arena last Saturday in Waimanalo where its therapeutic horsemanship program for disabled children now has an escape from the elements.

“We have been very, very blessed in having matching grants from Lions Clubs International Foundation and Harold K.L. Castle Foundation,” said Patti Silva, board member and instructor at the center. “With the severity of some of our children, they can’t handle the heat, and if it rains, we’re dead in the water. This cover will enable us to provide continuing services for the children.”

(The Castle and the Lions foundations each donated $75,000 to the project.)

Lions clubs’ spokesman Jim Bryan said members have been helping out at the center for years, and it wasn’t a matter they had to think about twice.

“It was a no brainier,” Bryan said. “We saw there was an absolute need, and our district governor at the time, Mervin Wee basically put the paperwork together, started working with other organizations to help fill some of the gaps, and everything we needed to get done, we got done.”

Bryan further stressed that little projects and charities like this go on all over the state all the time and shouldn’t be overlooked. “Before they send in their letters to ABC and ask for a network crew to come over and help them out, there always are organizations here that are more than willing to help out the local community whenever there is a need. And this is just another example of what can be done when enough people get together and cooperate.”

The Manawale’a program, which has been around since 2001, operates throughout the week. The center also has a work program with a small group of students from the special education program at Castle High School, and will run a day camp March 24-28.

For more information on the center, call 352-1523, or visit www.manawalea.org.