TWINSBURG, Ohio — Venture Lighting recently teamed up with Cape Electric and Ward & Burton to provide new lighting to the Hope Center in Perryville, Missouri, a nonprofit organization for therapeutic horses.
Since it’s opening in 2013, the Hope Center has been delivering services to many families with members dealing with a number of conditions. The science of therapeutic horseback riding does not have a long history, but has without questions emerged as a leading form of therapy for various patients. Whether children who are dealing with autism, veterans suffering from PTSD, or victims of traumatic injuries learning to use their bodies again, therapeutic horseback riding has produced results no other form of medicine has been able to deliver.
A challenge for the center was providing efficient lighting for the facility. “Our lighting was really bad in here. We had to buy used fixtures when we first opened”, said Rick Schemel Sr, one of the directors of the Hope Center. Those fixtures were high bays containing 400W High Pressure Sodium lamps, which provides a low density yellowish color, often used in street lighting. Schemel reached out to Kevin Amschler of Cape Electric, a local electrical distributor, to see if he knew of any options to improve the light output. Amschler, a horse owner himself, met with Schemel and paid a visit to the facility.
“I immediately felt a connection here,” says Amschler, “This was something that I wanted to support and not being able to find a way to upgrade the lighting was not really an option for me. I saw the value immediately.” Cape Electric partnered up with Venture Lighting out of Cleveland, Ohio and Ward & Burton, who represents Venture in Eastern and Central Missouri.
“Cape Electric and Ward & Burton have both been phenomenal partners for us,” says Charlie Duggan of Venture Lighting. “So when they asked us about the possibility of lighting upgrades as a donation, I knew we would want to find a way to make happen.” Duggan then visited the site along with Amschler and Shaun McClintock of Ward & Burton to get a tour of the facility and figure out what would be needed. “Although we didn’t admit it right away, we were sold on it in the first 30 seconds,” said McClintock, “We wanted to make sure we got the full tour before we said yes because the story is that impressive.”
Two months later, the three companies were able to deliver brand new LED fixtures, giving the facility a new look and, perhaps, a brighter hope. “The lighting makes a huge difference. Not only has it lowered our energy costs, but what happens in here are special moments for these families—moments they will want to hold onto. Whether it’s taking a photo, or just committing to memory, having the right light out here really changes the way these moments are captured,” said Schemel after the new fixtures were installed.
“We’re lucky to have great partners in Cape Electric and Ward & Burton,” said Duggan following the installation. “Together, the three of us have taken on many projects. But this has easily been the most enjoyable. Sometimes you know you’re at a place where special things happen when you step foot on the premises. We all knew right away that this was one of those places.”
For more photos and the “rest of the story,” click here.
