Tiger Docks Teams up With Loyal Order of The Squirrels to Build a Dock for TREE House of Greater St Louis
O’FALLON, MO (Januaruy 19, 2018) – Tiger Docks is proud to announce the completion of a project they helped construct and complete for a local nonprofit organization. TREE House of Greater St Louis, formerly known as Therapeutic Horsemanship, has been working for 43 years providing integrated therapy to individuals with disabilities throughout the Greater St. Louis community. Specializing in equine-assisted therapy, TREE House is located on 88 acres in Wentzville, MO; boasting beautiful trails, horse stables, pastures, and lakes.
The TREE House mission is simple. They strive to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. The organization’s Executive Director, Nate Harms, explains, “We focus on all abilities of individuals we serve, providing a broad range of services for them and their families, all in one environment.” It is an environment that continues to be developed and improved upon through the help of volunteers, grants, and local organizations willing to commit to supporting their goals. Last year, TREE House hoped to add a dock to their facility to enhance the outdoor experience through continuing to develop an area that was not being fully utilized. Ready to see TREE House reach their goal of a new dock, Tiger Docks and the Loyal Order of the Squirrels teamed up to build and install an ADA Fishing dock.
The Loyal Order of the Squirrels raised the funds necessary to provide the raw materials to build the dock. Josh Grasser, a member of The Loyal Order of the Squirrels, needed help to see the project come to life. He reached out to Nick Davis, President of Tiger Docks, for assistance in the design, building, and installation of the dock. Davis explains, “When Grasser brought this opportunity to me, I immediately wanted to get involved. I was not previously aware of TREE House of Greater St. Louis, but felt strongly about partnering with such a great organization, doing so much good for the community.” Tiger Docks joined the project to donate the labor. In total, 190 hours were donated to the project by Tiger Docks, which included the fabrication and installation of the dock.
A non-profit organization, The Loyal Order of the Squirrels was founded in 1984. They financially and physically assist children, handicapped, and elderly individuals in the area. Tiger Docks and Grasser have worked on multiple projects together in the past. When this opportunity arose, there was no doubt that together, they could make it happen.
The dock consists of a 5’ x 36’ ADA handrail bridge leading to a 16’ x 12’ ADA fishing dock with two, five foot custom benches. The bridge, dock, and benches feature Trex® composite decking, which are top of the line decking materials. In regards to choosing Trex® decking, Davis shares, “While everyone involved was watching costs, we did not want to compromise quality for this project; so, we chose the best product out there.”
Harms shared in great detail of the excitement surrounding the new dock. When asked what he is most proud with the completion of this project, he offered, “Just having it in the water at this point. The dock is awesome in the design and safe accessibility; it’s opening doors for people we’re serving.” He went on to explain to Davis that “having experts like you guys is key for the safety of those we serve.”
Tiger Docks is proud to be a part of such great projects, and amazing opportunities to serve their community. While discussing future possibilities for continued development, Harms asked Davis if he would be interested in helping with a possible project, to which Davis responded, “Absolutely.” TREE House plans to schedule a grand opening for the dock this upcoming spring. Find out more information about TREE House of Greater St. Louis, their mission, and their programs at http://thstl.org