Donations from two families that will go to fund additional staff members at Slippery Rock University’s Storm Harbor Equestrian Center are the driving force behind the center’s first expansion since it was founded 12 years ago.

Gary and Anita Rathburn and Paul and Carolyn Rizza recently contributed separate gifts to the facility. The Rathburn’s pledge will green-light a $500,000 project to expand the facility, and the Rizza’s $400,000 gift will extend Storm Harbor’s endowment to nearly $2 million and make it possible to add an additional full-time position to the facility’s compliment of workers.

Courtney Gramlich, the manager of Storm Harbor since 2006, called the gifts a wonderful development for the center.

“Both the Rathburns and Rizzas have been instrumental in helping us expand our services,” she said. “But this will actually expand the building, and we can continue to increase programming and staff.”

The facility provides equine-assisted activities and therapies for children and adults with disabilities and serves clients from more than six counties.

It also provides SRU students with lessons and a place to get field experience serving individuals with disabilities.

The facility currently includes a horse barn and indoor and outdoor riding arenas. The expansion project will increase the number of horse stalls by six, and expand the indoor riding arena as well. It also will add a viewing area and new bathrooms.

The staff increase will add a third full-time worker to accommodate the increase in programming and the need for more horses.