of SmilesSmilesSmiles

SeasonSeasonSeason

Runninin WJ Ranch Christmas Catalog 2012

Giddyup Gifts 1 English Saddle PadEnglish Saddle PadEnglish Saddle Pad

Every morning during riding season, our team of terrific therapy horses are saddled and tacked for a day in the arena. Before a saddle can slide on the back of Sli or any of our other horses, one of the barn managers or volunteers places a saddle pad on their backs to make their work more comfortable for the horse and rider. Currently, we are in need of larger

ones for older students and larger saddles.

1. English Saddle Pad (GG1)

$50 Suggested Gift

Note from Sam goes here...

Reins may be one of the last elements applied when tacking a horse, but they may be first in importance in learning to ride. Our rainbow reins are one of the best tools for teaching our students where to position their hands while on the back of the horse. We can tell a child

to put his hands on green, and he’s ready to say, “walk on.” However, rainbow reins are not only a great riding tool, but also an educational element as well. Students are learning to recognize colors swiftly

and accurately using these color-ful reins.

3. Rainbow Reins (GG3)

$20 Suggested Gift

Bitless BridleBitless BridleBitless Bridle This is Rojo the Ranch pony. Many students past and present have learned to ride on his back and love him. It is very difficult sometimes to explain to a child that they have outgrown Rojo po-

ny. It takes a very special animal to be on our team of therapy horses at Runnin’ WJ. That is one of the reasons the Ranch does not use bits to control our horses, but harnesses each horse with a bitless bridle when it’s time to ride. Each of our special equine staff deserve a bridle that fits them properly and is comfortable to “wear to work.” Currently, the Ranch is short on bridles that fit our present team.

Rainbow ReinsRainbow ReinsRainbow Reins

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2. Bitless Bridle (GG2)

$30 Suggested Gift

Every day at Runnin’ WJ is a chance to soak in the satisfaction of seeing a shining smile of a child as he mounts his horse. When he is on his horse’s back, he is king. But, before he can step up to the mounting block, and even before entering into the arena, he must make sure his helmet is on and is properly secured. At the Ranch, we have children as young as four years old in our program, and these extra small little cowboys and cowgirls need extra small helmets for their time in the saddle.

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5. Extra Small Helmet (GG5)

$40 Suggested Gift

Become a Horse SponsorBecome a Horse SponsorBecome a Horse Sponsor

Extra Small HelmetExtra Small HelmetExtra Small Helmet

This is “Kid in the Hat.” Kid is one of twenty equine that call the Ranch their happy home. During our rid-ing season from October to May, our horses work, participating in therapeutic riding sessions hours

out of the day. Many people forget Runnin’ WJ is a working Ranch with a head of horses that re-quire proper care and maintenance.

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4. Become a Horse Sponsor (GG4)

$100 a month Suggested Gift

$50 a month Share in the Gift

$25 a month Share in the Gift

Musical Miracles Musical Miracles

“Song can reach the very depths of our souls more than any other language. It is for this very revelation and truth we feel God leading us to begin a children’s chorus to honor the One who set us apart. We are special and we do not mind that as long as our hearts are pure. Our children who ride at the Ranch are the purest creations that Christ has ever made; some of us will never grow up mentally or physically, but our love will and can grow for Christ. Reaching inside these children and spreading the Gospel of Christ through the vehicle and avenue of music is the vision that Christ has placed inside me. We believe strongly that setting out on this brand new mis-sion in our own backyard will greatly glorify our Lord. Our children have so much love inside them, if we can only help them share it with the world.

In the gospel of Luke, it says that Jesus’ mother Mary pondered all these things in her heart as she loved the Christ child. I, also, ponder and wonder what is inside these amazing children, waiting patiently to come out. For just a moment, close your eyes and imagine the beautiful sound of a 200 member chorus of children with special needs and then, meditate on how that joyful noise would honor and glorify our Lord.”

These next giving opportunities will help us begin our journey into incorporating music into the therapy experience at the Ranch. –Sam Clem

Outdoor musical instrumentsOutdoor musical instrumentsOutdoor musical instruments

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“Music can be characterized by how it heals. The way music fires the neurons in the brain to the tempo it is played, helps bring into play the characteristics that bring the most healing benefit to an individual. Alt-hough the power, range and effectiveness of music as a healing tool has many variables, there are certain traits that are universal.”- Michelle Lazer, Director of Coast Music Therapy

Runnin’ WJ has served children and adults with a wide spectrum of spe-cial needs for over eleven years. We are constantly seeking new ways to empower our students to succeed in their lives, encouraging growth in every area. With incorporating music into the therapy experience at the Ranch, students who may be on the verge of a breakthrough might just find their voice for the first time.

Outdoor instruments will stimulate the brain, while creating a pleasing and satisfying accomplishment for the student as they use their muscles and cognitive skills to make a sound.

1. Outdoor Musical Instruments (MM 1)

$4,000 Suggested Gift

1. Outdoor Musical Instruments (MM 1)

$400 Share in the Gift

1. Outdoor Musical Instruments (MM 1)

$200 Share in the Gift

All children, no matter their age or ability, love to make noise. Whether they are using their mouths, their hands or their feet, creating noise comes naturally.

Boomwhackers are a musical, educational phenomenon. These tuned col-orful acoustic tubes create different harmonic tones. They are played by tap-ping the end of the tube against one’s hand or clashing two together, like cym-bals.

Because each colored Boomwhacker cre-ates a musical note, amazing patterns can be created which fuse harmony with rhythm. When children play with boom-whackers, the joy of making noise trans-forms into joyful melodic experimenta-tion as they discover the sound each col-or and size creates.

BoomWHackersBoomWHackersBoomWHackers

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Picture borrowed from www.specialneedstoys.com

2. Boomwhackers (MM 2)

$50 Suggested Gift

2. Boomwhackers (MM 2)

$25 Share in the Gift

Rock Beat Rhythm SticksRock Beat Rhythm SticksRock Beat Rhythm Sticks Boys love to drum...on their heads, on the walls, on the tables and on their tummies. Rock Beat Rhythm sticks are similar in size to traditional wooden

rhythm sticks, but because they are electronic, they make an actual drumming sound. Students have

to wait their turn to ride in the therapy room at the Ranch and need an interactive and pro-

ductive activity while they wait. Rock Beat Rhythm Sticks will pro-

vide a fun alternative to playing a Wii game or watching a movie, and can

be an educational tool too.

3. Rock Beat Rhythm Sticks (MM 3)

$20 Suggested Gift

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“Drumming is an amazing conduit for communication because it’s more in the body than in the head.”- Friendship Circle Blog

Drumming can be a calming and relaxing activity for a child with special needs. Runnin’ WJ Ranch is not only a place for young children. The Ranch has older students from teenagers to adults in their fifties and sixties. These older students need an activity that suits their age category and abili-ties and a set of bongo drums fits a wide age spectrum. A four year old child con-fined to a wheelchair could tap out a sim-ple rhythm and a high school aged stu-dent could drum out a creative pattern uniquely his own. A set of drums can en-courage growth in listening skills and memory strength as a teacher taps a rhythm for a child to repeat, creating a satisfying melodic beat.

Bongo Drums Bongo Drums Bongo Drums

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4. Bongo Drums (MM 4)

$20 Suggested Gift

Musical rhythm ribbon wandsMusical rhythm ribbon wandsMusical rhythm ribbon wands

These magical musical wands not only make a pleasing percussion sound, but these ergo-nomic toys also are colorful and education-al. The ribbons streaming from the end represent the ROYGBIV colors of the rain-bow-a teaching tool for younger children. These wands, coming in a set of 6, will hopefully be adaptable to use in the arena and in the therapy room.

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5. Musical Rhythm Ribbon Wands (MM 5)

$50 Suggested Gift

5. Musical Rhythm Ribbon Wands (MM 5)

$25 Share in the Gift

Shake, rattle and wonder what’s inside...These wooden sound boxes each have a distinctive sound that our students will shake to match its sound with its twin box. The boxes are color coded for self-correction and for tricky sounds.

Again, as our students arrive and wait their turn in the arena, the sound boxes will be an educational and productive activity for use in the therapy room. The students will work independently to build matching, concentra-tion, and perception skills in a fun, interactive way.

Sound boxesSound boxesSound boxes

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The sparkle ocean drum provides a satisfying sensory experi-ence as the beholder rocks the drum back and forth to recreate the sounds of the sea. The glittery sparkles and colorful metal balls inside the bell of the drum mimic the soft waves of the ocean

when the are set in motion. Many of our stu-dents and teachers need tools to relax as

they await their turn in the arena. The sparkle ocean drum provides not only a

satisfying sound that will soothe riders as they wait, but also a visually pleas-ing display as the drum sparkles and the colors dance through the grooves to create an ocean sound.

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6. Sound Boxes (MM 6)

$35 Suggested Gift

Sparkle Ocean DrumSparkle Ocean DrumSparkle Ocean Drum

7. Sparkle Ocean Drum (MM 7)

$40 Suggested Gift

Whimsical Wishes Gifts that are sure to bring a smile

to the face of a child

The kids that ride at the Ranch day after day always bring a smile to our faces, whether it be a funny face they make or something silly they say. Joy comes from spending time with these special indi-viduals that ride at Runnin’ WJ. Many of these chil-dren come from families that live with very limited

resources financially and are able to participate in therapeutic horseback riding solely through

the generosity of organizations and churches that provide scholar-ship funding for our students.

You have an opportunity this Christmas to brighten a child’s holiday. Whether it be a shiny

new pair of shoes, a warm winter jacket or a spe-

cial toy, these next gifts are specifically set aside with our

special children in mind!

Christmas ShoesChristmas ShoesChristmas Shoes

Cuddly Horse BuddiesCuddly Horse BuddiesCuddly Horse Buddies Our students love the horses they have the priv-ilege of riding at the Ranch. So much so, that they remember their names and enjoy groom-ing and petting them every week. Children also love soft cuddly stuffed animals. To make it a special Christ-mas for the Ranch kids, consider providing for every child to receive a special little friend to remind them of their horse when they aren’t at the Ranch. Twen-ty dollars will provide 12 children with a soft and cuddly pony.

Local ministry Laces of Grace has been providing brand new shoes to children and teens in need since 2010. A young father and coach felt led to take action when one of his players,

after taking him shoe shopping, didn’t have any idea what size shoe who wore. Matt Graves began to see the need in our community and started hosting back to school events, providing brand new shoes to children. Last Christ-mas, Matt and Laces of Grace helped brighten the holidays for all of our Ranch students by providing each with their own new shoes. Consider partnering with us this Christ-mas to help this local minis-try, as well as provide our stu-dents with Christmas shoes

again. Twenty dollars will provide two children with brand new shoes and socks.

1. Christmas Shoes (WW 1)

$20 Suggested Gift

2. Cuddly Horse Buddies (WW 2)

$20 Suggested Gift

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During the fall and winter months, riding at the Ranch gets a little chilly for our chil-dren and many of them don’t arrive at the Ranch with proper clothing to ward out the elements. Two years ago, we were able to provide warm fleece jackets for each of our children. This Christmas, we would love to do the same, wrapping each child in a soft and huggable fleece. Their faces when they receive their very own jacket is priceless.

Warm Winter FleeceWarm Winter FleeceWarm Winter Fleece

Runnin’ WJ Ranch

Runnin’ WJ Ranch

3. Warm Winter Fleece (WW 3)

$20 Suggested Gift

Cozy Hats and GlovesCozy Hats and GlovesCozy Hats and Gloves Holding the rainbow

reins in the fall and winter months can cause fingers to turn all shades of purple. Consider providing a warm winter hat and a pair of plush gloves or

mittens. These winter necessities will surely create a more comfortable riding

experience for our children during the chilly season.

4. Cozy Hats and Gloves (WW 4)

$15 Suggested Gift

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Nintendo Wii GamesNintendo Wii GamesNintendo Wii Games Our students love to spend time dancing with the Wii while waiting their turn to ride or for their bus to arrive. We are always on the lookout for new games that our kids would enjoy. Anything that encourages the strength-ening of cognitive and motor skills is wonderful for these special children. It’s a blast watching them compete too!

5. Nintendo Wii Games (WW 5)

$30 Suggested Gift

As you are cleaning out your closets this season and stumble across children’s books that your grown children no

longer read, consider donating them to the Ranch. We would prefer gently used hardback books for our kids. Don’t have any retired books at your home, but would like to provide our children with something fun to flip through while at the Ranch? Consid-er a small gift of $15 to purchase a new book for our therapy room.

6. New Children’s Books (WW 6)

$15 Suggested Gift

Call the Ranch at (903) 838-3223 if

you have gently used hard-back books you

would like to donate.

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New or Gently Used Children’s BooksNew or Gently Used Children’s BooksNew or Gently Used Children’s Books

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One Church. One ChildOne Church. One ChildOne Church. One Child Give the gift that keeps on giving this

year.

Your church has the ability to change a child’s life forever by providing valuable therapeutic horseback riding lessons at Runnin’ WJ. The students that ride at the Ranch look forward to coming to see their volunteers and horses every week and many of them would be unable to ride if it weren’t for the generous giving of organizations, individuals and churches. Ther-apeutic Riding strengthens the confidence and independence of these unique individuals, giving them an activity that they can excel in. Their abilities truly shine on the back of a horse.

Your congregation’s monthly offering to Runnin’ WJ Ranch will go towards sponsoring a special child at the Ranch. For a child to ride for a full academic year, the cost is $1,440. Eve-ry donation, no matter the monetary amount is greatly appreciated. Thank you for loving our kids.

7. One Church. One Child (WW 7)

$120 a month Suggested Gift

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Christmas is a special time of year at the Ranch.

You can sense the children’s excitement as they arrive. Their

smiles are bigger and their spirits are contagious. Everyday is

special at the Ranch, however, and it is people like you that help

make it that way. Thank you for taking the time to flip through

our very first “Season of Smiles” Gift Catalog. Your contribu-

tion helps contribute to the magical season shared at Runnin’

WJ. If you are ever driving down South Kings Highway, stop by

and say hello and sit awhile. Fix yourself a cup of coffee and

take it on the back porch. Watch the kids ride

by on their horses and smile. This is the

magic of Runnin’ WJ, the arena where every

heart finds a haven. We’ll be watching for

you,

Thank you for loving our kids,

~Sam Clem, Executive Director