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When a goal is so far-reaching, so perfect in its vision that it’s nearly implausible, we call it a dream. We place it on a high shelf where we can gaze upon its beauty and say, “Wouldn’t it be nice if…”

But Louie Castriota Jr., is no dreamer. He’s a goal –oriented guy, the type who schedules meetings at 6am and sleeps just a few hours a night. Castriota had a dream – a big, far-reaching, implausible one. But he never put it on a shelf. He carried that dream with him every single day for 13 years. He carried it until it had four walls big enough to hold other people’s dreams, and a working staff ready to meet other people’s goals.

And he called it Leg Up Farm.

“It’s really, really fulfilling for me after 13 years of work to now have children in the facility,” Castriota says of Leg Up Farm, a nonprofit therapy center in York County for children with disabilities and developmental delays. The project’s first phase, a 16,400-square-foot facility for therapeutic and educational services, opened in early April. It was the result of Castriota’s perseverance, his community’s support and his daughter’s inspiration.

Brooke Castriota, 14, was 1 when she was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, a metabolic disorder that causes both cognitive and motor function delays. The diagnosis moved her parents, who had just begun dreaming about opening a therapeutic riding center for children with disabilities, to significantly widen the scope of their vision.

“Your initial emotions after a diagnosis like that are of fear and sadness, and it’s hard. At that moment you realize the normal things that you were looking forward to may never happen,” says Castriota, who has three other children with his wife, Laurie. “My way of dealing with that fear and sadness was to try to find a way to help her and other children.”

The vision was to bring therapists of all different specialties under one roof to work together with family and community members, teachers, volunteers and physicians to give each child the most comprehensive care possible – and to do it all in an environment that’s both comfortable and stimulating for children.

“You create this child-friendly environment by dropping this medical facility into a farm,” Castriota says. “By doing that, you create an environment that really motivates children to succeed in their therapy goals. And it allows the therapist to have access to all these wonderful attributes of the environment to use in the therapy program.”

Occupational therapist Margaret Myers serves as therapy director at Leg Up Farm. Her young clients’ response to their first therapy sessions there were all the feedback she needed about the new space.

“A lot of the kids we see typically have a difficult time transitioning to a new environment,” Myers says. “But not one of the kids I’ve seen had a difficult time transitioning. And that speaks volumes.”

That new environment is a state-of-the-art building on 18 acres of donated land in York County. The center serves people from birth to age 21 who are facing all kinds of developmental delays and disabilities for a variety of reasons, including autism, ADHD< cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, metabolic disorders, traumatic brain injuries and delays in speech and motor skills. Families may be referred by a primary care physician who diagnoses a particular problem, or they can seek an on-site assessment to address their own concerns. Leg Up Farm accepts insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid, and works with families to make sure nobody is turned away.

“We assess their cognitive, emotional, social and motor needs, and put together a plan for the child that…is not necessarily based on a diagnosis,” Myers explains. “We simply look at the child and see how we can help them become the best person that they can b.”

York resident Karen Klidonas is thankful for that approach. Her son Athan, 5, doesn’t have a formal diagnosis of any particular disorder, but needs occupational therapy for some sensory issues. Klidonas is happy that Leg Up Farm doesn’t get mired in labels or serve only those on the end of the developmental spectrum. Athan has been working with Myers, and they met at Leg Up Farm for the first time in early April. “So far we’ve been thrilled,” Klidonas says of the new facility. “I think Lou’s vision was to have a place for parents to call home as well, and that certainly is what it is.”

Krista Cunningham of York is one parent who already is calling Leg Up Farm home. Cunningham’s daughter Leah, 5, has Down syndrome, and the family has had her in various therapies since she was an infant. Knowing such a kid-friendly therapy center was coming to their hometown was almost more than they could hope for, Cunningham says.

“We all had gone to fundraisers and had supported Lou in his efforts over the years. It was something we knew was a possibility, but we didn’t want to get our hopes up,” she says. “We all sort of regard Lou as our hero. And seeing the dream come true gives us so much hope, so much more to look forward to because there’s so much more to help your kids grow.”

And there’s much more on the way, too. Construction of the second phase of the project, an equine center for riding therapy, is scheduled for an August completion, thanks to a $1 million state redevelopment grant. The third and final construction phase would include an interactive community center featuring a greenhouse, therapy pool and auditorium and an outdoor garden for fresh-air play and sensory therapy.

Eventually there will be music therapy, art therapy, and a host of other programs to help kids of all different abilities reach their full potential. It’s just what Castriota envisioned Leg Up Farm to be. A place where other people’s dreams come true and other people’s goals are realized.

“The first time we went, I took pictures with my phone,” Cunningham says, “and e-mailed them to everyone we know, all the people who have dreamed with us, to say “We’re here! It’s open. The dream came true.”

Robyn Passante, freelance writer and mother of two from Carlisle

Leg Up Farm welcomes new board of directors members Kathy Parks King, Travis L. Miller and James T. Morton.

Kathy Parks King was an elementary education teacher within the Southern and South Eastern school districts, has been actively involved with York Symphony Orchestra, Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center, Focus on Our Future, Victim Assistance Center and Parents Anonymous. She is a former board member of the York YWCA, past chairwoman of York Day Nursery and currently serves as president of the board of directors for York County SPCA.

Miller is a sales, marketing and digital media executive with Comcast.

Morton is a founder and senior partner at Principia Partners. He and his wife, Christina, opened Children First Learning Center in 1998 in York Township.

York Daily Record

Whether now is the time to raise millions for the second portion of a one-of-a-kind therapeutic center remains to be seen, but work continues on Leg Up Farm as it prepares to open in May.

A Felton-area consulting company has begun a feasibility study to determine when -- and whether -- to launch a $10.4 million capital campaign to pay for the entire project.

That money would pay for remaining construction and outstanding loans on Leg Up, which is in the 4800 block of North Sherman Street Extended in East Manchester Township.

The main portion of the therapeutic center is nearing completion and will open to employ more than 40 staffers who will serve more than 1,000 special needs children in the 20,250-square-foot facility. The center will serve a wide range of individuals -- infants to adults up to age 21 and their families.

Construction of the second phase of the project, an equine center for riding therapy, begins in April thanks to a $1 million state redevelopment grant.

The third and final construction phase would include an interactive community center featuring a greenhouse, therapy pool and auditorium and an outdoor garden for fresh-air play and sensory therapy.

The center's founder and president, Lou Castriota Jr., says he hopes to launch the capital campaign to ensure completion of the entire project and to pay off loans.

Funding: So far, Castriota's family, friends and other supporters have raised $2.7 million, including the state grant, since forming the non-for-profit in 1997. Castriota also secured a $5.6 million loan split between USDA Rural Development and York Traditions Bank to begin construction on a hilltop lot that also was donated.

Now, Sharon Dorn of Clear Creek Consulting LLC of York County is conducting the capital campaign planning and feasibility study. She has started interviewing about three dozen prospective donors to determine whether they can pledge contributions during the next five years.

Their answers will enable Dorn to run the figures to see if pledges would add up to the $10.4 million needed for completion of the project. If not, she said she'll assess how much can be raised and in what time frame.

"In essence, this is the first phase of the capital campaign," Dorn said last week. "In most cases you go forward, but (data) could come back a few different ways."

She says those interviewed so far support Leg Up despite economic hard times. Part of the support stems from Castriota's passion for the project. The center offers parents and their children the bulk of services needed under one roof.

Getting ready: Castriota is putting in place the finishing touches on the administrative center that houses physical therapy equipment, multipurpose rooms, a play therapy area and offices for the May opening.

The indoor riding area and barn are part of the second phase that should be complete in July, with therapeutic horseback riding available by fall, Castriota said.

He and wife Laurie Castriota initially wanted to build an equine therapy center that would combine their love of horses with their love of children. At the time, the couple wanted to give back to the community and help children with special needs.

Six months after their initial discussions in 1997, their then-infant daughter Brooke, now 14, was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, which is similar to cerebral palsy. The equine therapy center morphed into the one-stop healing center where children could obtain physical, psychological and social therapies under one roof.

It also will provide education and advocacy for special-needs individuals and their families.

"I am just so thrilled walking around the building knowing that in a very short time, this dream is going to be a reality and children will be running through the halls of Leg Up Farm," Castriota said. "It's as much or more than I could have ever imagined."

Leg Up Farm in York County is expecting to save about $16,000 this year in energy costs as a result of help from a local nonprofit.

Lou Castriota Jr., President and CEO of Leg Up Farm, has been working for more than a decade to turn the project into a reality. Over the last five years, the York County Community Foundation's Energy Program has assisted Castriota with making the building energy efficient, he said.

Leg Up Farm opened April 9 in East Manchester Township. It offers therapy and support services for children with disabilities and their families.

"The environment is extremely important to Leg Up Farm's therapy model, so early on in our construction process I felt as though it was important for us, based on our programming, to seek out and pursue green building," Castriota said. "We would not have been able to do what we did without the support of the York County Community Foundation's energy program, as a nonprofit organization."

The foundation's energy program was established in 1993. The program has helped about 130 nonprofit organizations in York County realize total energy savings of roughly $7 million, said Marcus Sheffer, president of Warrington Township-based Energy Opportunities. Sheffer serves as energy consultant for the foundation.

The program provided consulting services to nonprofits to technically and financially help them make their facilities more energy efficient, he said. The program works with eight to 12 nonprofits each year, he said.

"The whole idea behind the program is to help York County nonprofit organizations to reduce their energy costs," Sheffer said. "If they have lower energy costs, that's more money they have for the services they provide for the community. It benefits the nonprofit's bottom line, which benefits the community's bottom line."

The program's assistance resulted in a plan that could save Leg Up Farm $1 million in energy costs over the lifespan of the newly constructed building, which could be 40 to 50 years, Castriota said. The project is pursuing Leadership in Environmental Engineering & Design (LEED) certification with the U.S. Green Building Council.

The program helped Castriota secure a $35,000 grant in late 2007 from the Metropolitan Edison Sustainable Energy Fund, which paid for a lot of the costs related to green building, Castriota said.

The consulting provided to Leg Up Farm by the foundation throughout the process is valued at around $10,000, Shaffer said. The energy program's committee also recently recommended the project be given a $5,000 grant to help offset the costs associated with making the building energy efficient, he said.

The program is available to assist with retrofitting existing buildings, as well as helping to design energy efficient construction projects. The group looks to reduce energy costs of retrofit projects by about 25 percent on average. New construction projects can save closer to 50 percent, Sheffer said. The payback periods vary but some projects can see an immediate payback, he said.

Program services include an assessment of potential energy opportunities, which might mean lighting and temperature adjustments, a study of utility bills, a financial analysis, help with grant proposals and implementation assistance.

The program is funded through two endowments at the foundation -- the Charles G. Eyster Family Fund and the Energy Conservation Fund.

Over the past year, the program has restructured in a way that will create a more focused and comprehensive approach by honing in on a smaller number of projects each year, Sheffer said. They will likely assess the same amount of projects each year, but it will pick three or four to really dive into, he said.

"The interest in the program ebbs and flows with increases in energy costs," he said. "I think we're starting to see another (surge in) interest in the program, primarily related to the electricity rate caps."

Just last month, an $8.3 million dream became reality for Lou Castriota. September 10 marked the groundbreaking of Leg Up Farm in York -- a therapy center designed to improve the lives of children with special needs and their families through an effective combination of therapeutic programs and services, education and advocacy.

Castriota has been able to raise over $1.5 million funding through a combination of private contributions, public fundraising events, and state, federal and foundation grants. In November of 2008, Lou and Leg Up Farm received a $5.6 million loan split between USDA Rural Development and York Traditions Bank.

Today, Castriota's vision of providing speech, occupation and physical therapies in the form of art, music, horseback riding, swimming, fishing, hiking and more is within sight. Leg Up Farm is scheduled to open in the spring of 2010.

For more information on the effort or on making a donation to the effort, visit online at www.legupfarm.org.

E-News, Central Penn Parent Capabilities

Lou Castriota Jr. sat atop a mound of dirt in recent days surveying a field and trying to imagine the transformation that will occur during the next several months.

Come May, Castriota's dream will come to fruition in its most tangible form. That's when contractors say Leg Up Farm will open its doors to special-needs children and their families.

Thursday he and more than 100 supporters grabbed shovels, dug in and turned dirt in celebration of the official groundbreaking for the therapeutic, not-for-profit facility in the 4800 block of East Manchester Township.

The project will be built in two phases. The first is a 16,500-square-foot facility for therapeutic and educational services. Phase 2 is a 30,000-square-foot attached indoor riding arena and horse barn for equine-related activities.

The facility is expected to open in May when 32 staffers and 150 volunteers are in place, Castriota said.

A long journey: Castriota spoke briefly prior to the dig, pausing several times as he fought back tears that he says are the sume of a long journey, filled with innumerable prayer-filled walks on that 18-acre property off Sherman Street Extended.

During those strolls, the New Freedom husband and father of four said he tried to imagine all that the farm should consist of and what it could offer hundreds of parents who struggle daily to meet the specials needs of their children.

For adults, the farm will provide resite in the form of a deck overlooking the valley below.

The children will benefit from physical, psychological and social therapies, as well as from a less grueling schedule being shuttled from one place to another to obtain care they need.

Castriota said the idea for the farm began in 1997 when he and his wife, Laurie, wanted to give back to the community and help children with special needs. They initially wanted to open an equine therapy center, combining their love of horses with their love of children.

Six months after their initial discussions, their then-infant daughter Brooke, now 13, was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, which is similar to cerebral palsy.

But the couple learned in short order the difficulty in finding all of the services necessary for children with special needs, including Down syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, genetic and metabolic disorders, autism and cerebral palsy.

Older children left out: The Castriotas found Pennsylvania's early intervention program for special needs children helpful. However, the program only serves children up to age 3. After that, Castriota said, children are dependent either on school systems or private doctors for therapeutic programs.

So the equine therapy center morphed into a one-stop healing center where children could obtain physical, psychological and social therapies. It would offer under one roof these therapeutic services, along with education and advocacy for special-needs individuals, infants to adults up to the age of 21 and their families.

Two years would pass before Castriota found the site, which was donated by local resident and ecologist Barbara Warren, who offered a portion of her farm bordered by pines. All that remained was securing some $9 million to build the facility and operate it for the first year.

His daughters donated money -- one of them giving her weekly paycheck -- and organized fundraisers. In all, the family, friends and other supporters raised $1.5 million since forming the not-for-profit in 1997. Several years later, he secured a $5.6 million loan split between USDA Rural Development and York Traditions Bank.

Castriota stood Thursday during the groundbreaking ceremony listening to a slew of supporters, ranging from contractors to legislators. Each said they had doubts but began to believe mostly because Castriota was not giving up.

Just as he'd secured the land and the loan, he garnered their loyalty.

Castriota stood with his family with nothing to do but listen to accolades about his perseverance. They said his vision and work will serve hundreds if not thousands of children in coming years and decades.

"All the kindness and support I've received today is just overwhelming," Castriota said after the ceremony. "I don't have the words for the gratitude I feel."

Services: Leg Up Farm, Inc. will offer tailored programs and services on an outpatient basis for special needs individuals from infants to adults up to age 21. Initial services include: physical, occupational and speech therapies; therapeutic recreation; hippotherapy and therapeutic horseback riding; education Paws for Reading program; and summer day camps.

Learn more about Leg Up Farm online at www.legupfarm.org or by calling 717-266-9294.

By KATHY STEVENS, The York Dispatch

Leg Up Farm is a project Lou Castriota Jr., president and chief executive officer of the center, has been planning for more than a decade. It will become reality when the 52,850-square-foot facility opens in May.

The center in East Manchester Township will offer therapy and support services for children with disabilities and their families. The services will include physical, occupational, speech-language and creative arts therapy, as well as horse-assisted activities, therapeutic recreation and farming adventures.

Leg Up Farm intends to cater to infants, children, adolescents and young adults up to age 21 who experience developmental delays and physical disabilities from a number of medical condistions, including cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism and learning disabilities. The center said it expects to be able to serve more than 1,000 children within the first three years of operation.

Central Penn Business Journal

Commissioners agreed to accept a $1 million state grant on behalf of Leg Up Farm, Inc., a physical- and occupational-therapy center in East Manchester Township for children with disabilities.

Lou Castriota Jr., president and CEO of Leg Up Farm, said it will offer comprehensive therapy for children, including a therapeutic riding center. He and others behind the effort have been working to make it happen since 1997, Castriota said.

Last year, the farm received a combined $5.6 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and York Traditions Bank to construct the 16,500-square-foot main therapy building.

The $1 million will fund an indoor riding arena and stables, Castriota said.

"The goals we had as an organization will now, I guess, be fully realized," Castriota said.

Leg Up Farm will have an official groundbreaking at 11 a.m. Sept. 10. You can RSVP by calling info @ legupfarm.org. For more information, see www.legupfarm.org.

By TOM JOYCE, Daily Record/Sunday News

A $1 million state grant will help an area nonprofit expand its mission to help young people dealing with developmental disorders and disabilities.

Leg Up Farm, a planned 110,000-square foot facility in East Manchester Township, recently secured the money through Pennsylvania's Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program (RACP).

The grant, which comes in addition to $5.6 million in long-term loans from USDA Rural Development and York Traditions Bank, allows Leg Up to build an indoor riding arena and horse barn to complement its main therapeutic facility.

"I'm speechless," said owner Lou Castriota Jr., who had been planning the center for 12 years before breaking ground at the beginning of August. "The vision that we set out to achieve is coming to fruition completely, with all aspects of the program that we wanted to offer."

Services: Leg Up Farm will make rehabilitation, education and advocacy services available for children with developmental issues and their families. In addition to physical, occupational and speech therapy, the facility will offer horse-assisted activities and art and farming programs.

Autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and many other conditions will be treated. Leg Up officials believe they'll be able to serve more than 1,000 children in the facility's first three years of operation.

The first phase of the project calls for construction of the main 16,500-square-foot therapy building. Crews will build the arens and barn during the second phase.

Both phases are scheduled to finish in May 2010, Castriota said.

"All of the pieces of the puzzle have come together," he said. "I couldn't have asked for anything better."

Celebration

Leg Up Farm is holding a groundbreaking celebration at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at 4880 N. Sherman St. in East Manchester Township. Guests are asked to RSVP by e-mailing info@legupfarm.org or calling 266-9294.

Refreshments will be served at nearby Starview United Church of Christ.

By PETER MERGENTHALER, The York Dispatch

Thumbs Up to Lou Castriota Jr. of New Freedom and his planned not-for-profit Leg Up Farm therapeutic facility for special needs children on the receipt of $5.6 million in loans to make the project a reality.

Groundbreaking for the facility in East Manchester Township is planned next year with completion scheduled for 2010. The 18-acre North Sherman Street site will offer physical, psychological, and social therapies for children in a farm setting.

The facility will offer programs, education and advocacy for special needs children and their families up to age 21. Congratulations on working and seeing a dream come true.

OUR VIEW, The York Dispatch