San Juan Capistrano, Calif. – The construction of the Klein Family Education & Therapy Building at the J. F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center is complete and a grand opening to dedicate the organization’s new home will be held on Thursday, February 25 from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m.
The entire community is invited to join this open house celebration which includes a dedication ceremony and site blessing at 5:00 p.m., building tours and Shea Center rider
demonstrations.
Named for a significant lead gift made by philanthropists Jenny and Bill Klein, the Klein Family Education & Therapy Building provides wheelchair-accessible indoor space for physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and includes parent and community education resource areas, family waiting areas, meeting rooms for teaching and training along with space for therapists, instructors, physical therapy interns, staff and more than 200 weekly volunteers.
Constructed to accommodate future growth in services at The Shea Center, the final cost of the 21,000 square-foot facility came in under its $3.1 million approved budget. The building is the first Orange County equestrian facility to comply with several new environmental guidelines and serves as a model construction project.
Construction Committee Chair Kevin Walker says, “We are all very proud that the facility is completed and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant with every aspect of the building from the entry ramp to the restrooms; the facilities are now fully accessible to all Shea Center clients who have a wide range of disabilities.”
In-kind gifts and donated services towards the facility were made by Adlin Construction, O’Connell Landscape Maintenance, Rich Varriano from D & R Office Works, Morales Olive and Palm Trees, Shan Luvisa of Obvious Flair Design, Jim Washburn of DPR Construction and Tom Peck of Custom Building Products.
Although the building was completed as scheduled on November 30, 2009, the organization’s $12 million multi-year capital campaign is still in progress.
Support of the building project can be made through the naming of rooms, stalls and other indoor and outdoor areas. A wish list has been created to fund indoor and outdoor furniture for client and family waiting areas, physical therapy gym equipment, upgrades to the organization’s computers and tables and chairs for the new meeting rooms.
Background
Plans to build a permanent home for the therapeutic riding center began in
2001 after the J.F. Shea Company, Inc. donated seven-acres of undeveloped
land to what was then the Fran Joswick Therapeutic Riding Center. To
recognize the extraordinary gift of land, the nonprofit organization was soon renamed, the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center, and the Center’s Board of Directors embarked on multi-year capital campaign to build a permanent home for the therapeutic riding center which marked 30 years of serving the disabled community in 2008. The first phase of the project included two covered arenas, an open arena, a forty-stall barn and a community riding trail that was completed in early 2007.
About The Shea Center
One of the largest therapeutic riding centers in the country, the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center is dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities through therapeutic horse-related programs. The privately funded Shea Center was founded by social worker Fran
Joswick in 1978 and currently serves more than 525 clients annually with approximately 54
varying disabilities.
The newly renovated Shea Center is located at 26284 Oso Road in San Juan Capistrano. For more information, contact Dana Green at 949.240.8441, ext.
109 or visit www.sheacenter.org.
Submitted By;
Barbara Kimler
