Far Hills, NJ — Though grey skies dampened the atmosphere during sharingVillage Survivor Groups’ Driving for Surviving demonstration at the Garden State Horse Show, it didn’t diminish the group's spirit. Despite a period of inclement weather that unluckily corresponded with the driving demonstration on Saturday, May 7, the children of sharingVillage took to the ring with their carts and miniature horses and drove with Grand Prix riders Anne Kursinski and Kate Levy by their sides.

SharingVillage Survivor Groups is a non-profit self help educational group designed to teach adults and children confronting life threatening disease the art of survivorship. They utilize bonding with miniature horses, survivor to survivor mentoring, art and music as they seek to reframe illness and re-imagine happiness in their futures. Since the inception of the program in 1997, sharingVillage has provided support for thousands of children and adults.

The Garden State Horse Show, which took place May 4-8 at the Sussex Country Fairground in Augusta, NJ, is one of the nation's most popular hunter-jumper competitions and has been a long-time supporter of sharingVillage Survivor Groups. sharingVillage Survivor Groups' Driving For Surviving Program participants have previously been invited to perform driving demonstrations at the Garden State Horse Show for the last 4 years. Last year's demonstration was canceled due to severe weather.

“After not being able to perform last year due to severe weather, we weren't going to let a little rain stop us this year," said Shelley Zlotkin of sharingVillage Survivor Groups. "Performing at the Garden State Horse Show – whether in sunshine or rain showers – allows us a special opportunity to showcase the important work that sharingVillage Survivor Groups does. We are so grateful to Anne Kursinski and Kate Levy for being a part of the demonstration and to the horse show for once again giving us this chance."

sharingVillage Survivor Groups would also like to thank The Ronald McDonald House Charities of the New York Tri-State Area for their grant which supports sharingVillage's outreach programs at venues like the Garden State Horse Show, as well as hospitals, schools, churches and other organizations, to provide education, encouragement and support for people facing disease and loss.

For more information on the sharingVillage Survivor Groups' Driving for Surviving program visit www.sharingVillage.org, email [email protected] or call 908-234-0334.