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Todd Plischke remembered at REINS

Since coming to Fallbrook in 1999, REINS (Riding Emphasizing Individual Needs and Strengths) Therapeutic Horsemanship Program has received many donations, but the one presented on Aug. 30 was very special to everyone involved.

Denise and Jan Plischke and members of the North County Disabled Services (NCDS) board of directors presented REINS executive director Debbie Shinner and program director Shauna Jopes with a check for $7,580 to create the Todd Plischke Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Although Todd, who rode horses at REINS for 17 years, was born mentally and physically disabled, his mother Denise said, “He had an amazing enthusiasm for life…it was infectious. You couldn’t be around him for long without ‘catching’ the infection. He truly lived each day.” Todd loved sports, his mother said, even though he could not participate in most of them. His parents looked for sports he could take part in and one of those was horseback riding.

Riding two days a week, with the help of the same volunteers and instructors each time with mom watching on the side with other mothers, “REINS became our second home,” said Denise who added, “Todd, and every student we saw there, lived for the day they would have their riding lessons at REINS. It is a happy place for everyone involved.” Todd died unexpectedly on Nov. 3, 2010 at the age of 24.

It was about that same time in 2010 that the board of NCDS reluctantly decided “to dissolve the non-profit due to low volunteerism” according to board president Linda White. White said that NCDS was created to provide therapeutic and recreational opportunities to those with disabilities. “REINS has a spotless reputation of creating these opportunities,” White said, so “the board made the decision to create the Todd Plischke Memorial Scholarship Fund due to the impact Todd had on the community of Fallbrook. The scholarship funds will be used to provide therapeutic riding lessons for many riders in the future.

Jan Plischke said that the scholarships provided in Todd’s memory “will give other kids a chance to look forward to something other than their next doctor’s visit…they just love riding horses out here.”

For Shinner, who said, “We’ve never turned away a kid yet,” the scholarship fund “is an honor.” Of Todd, she said, “He never missed a Friday…how blessed we all were; he touched every person’s life he came in contact with.” She remembered that 400 people attended Todd’s funeral, in the rain. His family’s request that donations be made to REINS in lieu of flowers raised $15,000 for the program.

Denise Plischke said, “REINS brings a magical integration of able and disabled worlds together in our community. Fallbrook is so fortunate to have this organization to help our disabled population. With this donation, we hope many more disabled students and their families will benefit as we did. Todd would be so proud that he had helped contribute to the lives of others.”

An endowment fund has also been started to benefit REINS. For more information on the program or to donate, call (760) 731-9168 or visit http://www.reinsprogram.org.

 

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