I cannot begin to thank the hundreds of people who deeply believed in this farm, its mission and its future. I will be forever filled with gratitude for the hours and hours of work that have been so generously given to get us here to the official launch of Touchstone Farm this January 1st 2011. We have been on a most exciting and challenging journey together.
At the expense of sounding like I am making a speech at the Oscars, I really want to focus in and especially thank four people who have truly made this launch possible. It is a fact that without all of them, we would not be here with the future shining bright and exciting.
The first of these amazing people is Trish Twining, our Pony Farm Advisory Council President, who stepped up into the void filled by my serious illness and hospitalization, not once but twice, with asthma. Using her amazing people skills, business acumen and good old common sense, Trish has lead the parade through the tough spring months during which time the economy was tanking and I was still unable to take a deep breathe. Under her fabulous leadership, we now come to the launch of Touchstone with a happy staff, a balanced budget, all bills paid, a herd of well cared for and nicely trained horses, and a facility which has received a terrific face lift. Words can never adequately convey what Trish has bought to our midst, week in and week out.
The next amazing person is Harry Healer, a board member, long time camp parent, and eternally wonderful human being. Harry not only attended planning meeting after meeting, but he lead the way in being the key donor in a major fundraising campaign to launch Touchstone Farm. Thanks to the massive donation given by Harry and his wife, Cynthia, other donors gained confidence to follow suit. This matching grant eventually helped us to raise over $200,000 for Touchstone. This is a miracle in today’s economy, and proves the strength of the human spirit and what teamwork can accomplish!
The next amazing person that helped make all of this happen in the correct, legal order is Jim Callahan, Esq. of Bowditch and Dewey Law Firm in Peterborough. Using common sense, sound thinking and good legal training, Jim helped us to unravel the complexities of trying to operate three businesses side by side on the same piece of property. Thanks to him and Jeff Crocker, the new lawyer representing Touchstone Farm, we are on our way to transparency, solid fiscal management and solid business planning.
Finally, I extend my most sincere and heartfelt thanks to Nancy Cook, the current Touchstone Board President. Nancy has been ‘there’ since the beginning of the farm, buying and selling horses to my family, serving as one of the founding instructors for Horse Power (as a volunteer of course!), helping start the Horse Power Instructor Training School (as a volunteer of course!) and now as our fearless leader as we move into Touchstone Farm. Her sense of humor, commitment to what is right and good, as well as her vast expertise in children and disabilities, makes her the ideal first President of the Touchstone Board.
With these people in the lead, we can not help but to continue to succeed as we celebrate our first year of Touchstone and our 40th year of the farm itself. We invite you to join us at any point along the way. As we celebrate the rich history of our past, going back to 1754, and we look forward to our exciting future, we hope you are part of our story, part of our farm family and part of our future. A warm welcome awaits you here at the brand new Touchstone Farm!
Please Save the Date for the Pony Farm 40th Anniversary Celebration at the Wellesley College Club in Wellesley, Ma. on March 19th. Details to follow shortly!!! We will be hosting a similar celebration for our metro New York campers and alumni this fall. Stay tuned....
Fondly,
Boo
