This STAR’s light has been shining for 30 years. It’s also been a year of change, its light and life expanding beyond its 63 acres in Loudon County to a new 47-acre satellite site in South Knox County at 3312 Tipton Station Road.
Last week Lynn Petr, the long-time executive director of STAR – the Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding – gave the Rotary Club of Farragut an update on what’s going on with STAR. Its main facility is on Highway 11E in Lenoir City.
“The mission of STAR is to foster personal achievement by providing therapeutic experiences using horse-related activities for persons with disabilities or other special challenges.” The mission is firm and they stick to it.
Today STAR has four main programs of service:
— Teaching therapeutic riding skills to people with disabilities.
— Miniature horses that visit assisted living facilities, nursing homes and schools.
— “Changing Strides” has the horses working with at-risk special needs kids.
— The Hero’s program is for disabled veterans with PTSD and other physical challenges.
STAR is expanding its borders as well. In February 2016 a couple, who supported STAR before moving to Hawaii a number of years ago, decided to give STAR their south Knox County 47-acre farm, complete with a beautiful old barn and house. Petr says they have been busy there, making the necessary changes for using it (like upgrading restrooms and other areas for handicapped accessibility). “It’s private, beautiful and with its color environment is maybe more geared to working with mental health kids and adults,” Lynn said.
They now have seven horses there and can accommodate 10 if needed.
STAR has only 10 full-time staff, nine part-timers and 30 horses at the headquarters. The team works with 150 individuals weekly. “We have 400 volunteers and that’s incredible,” she said. “We had a call for volunteers for our last session and 56 showed up.”
Her budget, she says, “is getting scary” and nearing that million-dollar figure. They charge $40 per lesson (the actual cost is $126) but many lessons come with sponsorships (they are a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit) that are available. The lessons for the veterans is $100 per vet but many of those are also paid for with sponsorships. It is $700 a year to sponsor one student rider and $1,500 to sponsor a horse.
“We need so many things,” Petr said. “Maintaining 100 acres now and the barns and all without a janitorial staff is hard,” she says. “I’m the janitor, too. STAR is my life.” They need things like wheelbarrows, heavy duty shovels and hoses, and other things you can find listed on their website: https://www.rideatstar.org/
She said STAR is available for corporate retreats and team building using the horses and also for organizations like Rotary to have a meeting there with lunch catered. “We have our work days as well and many young people need volunteer hours these days. Keep us in mind.”
To volunteer, donate or create a sponsorship, give her a call at 865-988-4711.