Albany Therapeutic Riding Center seeking vendors for event

ALTAMONT, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A year after a devastating barn fire, the Albany Therapeutic Riding Center is turning tragedy into opportunity. The local non-profit wants to expand their facilities and programming and is seeking vendors for its upcoming fundraiser “Raise the Barn”.

The center needs the public’s help with their new plans to grow and meet the community’s needs. Albany Therapeutic Riding Center is hosting a fundraiser November 1 and are looking for food and craft vendors and volunteers. 

“Our community has been absolutely incredible,” said Executive Director Taylor Huntley, after the community rallied around them after the fire.

“And since then, we’ve kind of just been working with architects and volunteers and contractors to kind of develop a plan on what we want to do moving forward,” said Huntley.

Rebuilding the same barn would have been more expensive than what insurance paid out..so…

“At that point we had realized, you know, maybe we don’t have to build exactly what was here and maybe we can change it up a bit,” said Huntley.

They’re looking at an expansion, rebuilding bigger and better, turning an unfortunate situation into a positive. She called it a blessing in disguise.

“The demand that we have for services in the capital district is absolutely insane. so we’ve always had a wait list. We’ve always had, you know, inquiries for additional programing and operations. So expansion has always been something that we’ve been looking at and it was never something that could be in our realm of possibility until this event happened,” said Huntley.

The plans? An addition to their first barn, that will include enough stables for all of their horses, and a new education center where the old barn was, to accommodate more programming.

The total cost, roughly $630,000. Insurance covered $280,000. After the insurance payout they were left with a $350,000 price tag. But then, a generous $175,000 donation from a local couple.

“Which is insane. So that donation came from Mike and Gail Hinkley of Ballston Spa,” said Huntley. “But that means we have to raise another $175,000 to make it happen.”

The “Raise the Barn” Hoedown fundraiser is happening Saturday, November 1, from noon to 3:00 P.M.

“So now we’re really looking for like a few more food trucks. If anybody has a food truck and would like to come set up as well as craft and supply vendors,” said Huntley.

There’s no tabling fee for vendors, Huntley said, all they’re requesting is a donation.

“We have to rebuild in order to make things safe, appropriate and grow. And we need some funds for that,” said Huntley. 

Again, they’re fundraising to cover the remaining $175,000 needed. If you’d like to donate or vend or volunteer at the event go to news10 dot com for more details. They break ground on the barn expansion on Tuesday.