This 12-year-old Kennewick girl is using her good fortune to help others

Cali Schoenberg spent five months working for the livestock auction at the Benton-Franklin Fair and Rodeo.

The Horse Heavens Middle School student fed her pig twice a day, made sure it had fresh water and it was kept clean.

While the 4-H veteran was ready when her pig went on the block, she wasn’t prepared for the generosity of the bidders.

“Her buyer was Farm City Fence from Hermiston, and others in the community added money to her total,” said her mother, Holly. “She just wanted to give back.”

So Cali recently took $500 from what she earned at the auction and gave it to Therapeutic Riding of Tri-Cities, known as TROT.

The Schoenbergs are no strangers to the Pasco-based nonprofit, founder Cynthia MacFarlan said. Cali’s father was McFarlan’s farrier and her grandfather is a vet.

Cali inherited that love for animals. She’s spent four years raising pigs through 4-H and helps take care of her family’s horses.

“Her mom reached out to me a month ago, saying, ‘Hey, Cali wanted to do this,” MacFarlan said. “The generosity and support does not go unnoticed.”

The TROT therapy program pairs up people who have disabilities with horses.

Cali’s money will help pay for scholarships for therapy riding classes. Costs can range from $85 to $240 depending on the type of class.

And the riders have been as young as 4 to 80, she said.

The scholarships open up the opportunity for people who couldn’t afford the participate otherwise.

“We have a lot of families that struggle,” she said. “It’s hard for them. They can often only have one working parent. For them to have the benefit of therapy, it’s the highlight of their week.”

Growing participation

The nonprofit is seeing a growing number of folks use their services, MacFarlan said. They’ve helped 85 participants already this year.

MacFarlan spent 30 years as a speech and language pathologist before starting the nonprofit in 2014.

The organization has certifications from the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship and the American Hippotherapy Association.

“We’re primarily an all-volunteer organization,” MacFarlan said.

The physical benefits include strengthening the spine and increasing joint mobility, she said. It also helps people gain confidence.

MacFarlan has one student with autism, who couldn’t get near the horse when she started, now she is grooming the animal.

They are hoping to raise enough money to open an equine facility to provide classes year round.

“We need help finding a place of our own,” she said.

Cali Schoenberg is now considering joining the ranks of the volunteers, her mother said.

To learn more about TROT, go to trot3cities.org.