Will County horse group riding into New Lenox Walmart to ring bells

Members of the Will County Trail Riders, accompanied by their horses, will be ringing bells for the Salvation Army on Saturday.

“This year someone is even going to bring a pony,” said Bruce Bochenek, president of the Will County Trail Riders. “That will be new for us, too.”

The community can find them between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. outside the Walmart Supercenter in New Lenox, 501 E. Lincoln Hwy., as they collect donations for the Salvation Army. This is the eighth year horses and riders are working together to spread holiday cheer, Bochenek said.

“It looks like the temperatures will be nice this Saturday,” Bochenek said. “We’ve had some Saturdays where it was like 10 or 20 degrees.”

Members are excited to show off their horses, since some merely ride the trails with them, he said. Walmart shoppers are always amazed to see horses outside the store, he said.

“There’s a good sense of endearment towards the horses. People might think, ‘Oh, it’s a horse.’ But when you come up close to them, it’s more than just a horse.”

—  Bruce Bochenek, president of the Will County Trail Riders

“We’ve had people go into the store, buy carrots, and bring them back for the horses,” Bochenek said.

Some people never get the chance to see a horse up close, so Saturday is a good opportunity for it.

“There’s a good sense of endearment towards the horses,” Bochenek said. “People might think, ‘Oh, it’s a horse.’ But when you come up close to them, it’s more than just a horse.”

Shoppers are encouraged to take pictures with the horses.

“We’ll furnish the frame,” Bochenek said. “But they have to furnish the camera.”

Despite the novelty of seeing horses, Bochenek stressed that Saturday is about helping the Salvation Army.

“We’ve had people who will put a donation in the red box – and then they will offer us money for the horses, which we refuse,” Bochenek said. “We tell them to put the money in the bucket; that’s why we’re out there. That’s how generous some of those people are.”

Bochenek said he especially loves seeing parents giving their children 50 centers or a dollar to place into the kettle “to get a sense of what it’s like to share.” The Will Country Trail Riders raised about $1,100 for the Salvation Army in 2022.

“We haven’t gotten any gold coins yet,” Bochenek said. “But we’re hoping.”