Main Stay first opened its’ doors to students with special needs in 1984. Life long horsewoman Sara Foszcz joined forces with physical therapist Sandy Barcus and the journey began. For the first several years it co-existed with an able-bodied boarding and training facility owned and operated by Rusty and Sara Foszcz. The desire to operate solely for the purpose of serving people with special needs moved from a dream to reality in 1987. The boarding facility was closed and Main Stay became a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to children and adults with physical, developmental, emotional and social challenges.
 Classes ran almost exclusively through school programs and consisted of mostly SEDOM (Special Education of McHenry County) students with physical challenges, for the first several years. The parents soon began to ask to ride over the summer months and for longer periods than offered through the schools. As evening classes began to expand, the volunteer base also grew and the reality was that paid staff would be needed to ensure future growth and stability.
Since the hiring
of the first paid instructor the program has continued to grow. Currently the
program serves an average of 70 students a week. Up to 100 volunteers each week help a
small dedicated staff - (which includes certified instructors, a program
coordinator, a volunteer coordinator, a barn/property manager, and a community
outreach person) - keep the program running on a day to day basis. A volunteer Board of Directors
continues to help shape the future and financial stability of Main Stay.
The mission of Main Stay remains firm. It is to provide individualized equine related therapy to people with physical, developmental, emotional and social disabilities. Pursuing this mission enriches the lives of our clients in a caring, safe, and challenging environment that will enable them to reach their full potential.
As Main Stay has grown and matured it has also become known within the industry for providing quality workshops, instructor training and maintaining the industry’s highest level of accreditation as a Premier NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) Center. Everyone at Main Stay continues to strive for education, high quality and a commitment to looking towards the future. |
