In mid-February, Sioux City staff attended the Denim & Dreams Mardi Gras Dinner and Auction, the largest fundraiser of the year for the S.T.A.R.S. program, an equine assisted therapy program in which Dismas has partnered for the past four years. The S.T.A.R.S. (Special Troopers Adaptive Riding School) curriculum, which is tailored to Dismas residents, addresses communication, teamwork, anger management, and trust building. The Sioux City facility was a Gold Sponsor of the event which included live and silent auctions, door prizes, raffles and an auction for a puppy. Throughout the evening a video slide presentation showed the work being done at S.T.A.R.S. and the clients with whom they work. “One client, diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, noted that he had been in the program for 23 years and that when he is riding the horses, he feels like he can do anything,” said Director Robyn Deacon.
