Over $35,000 Raised in One Weekend
Monday, March 6, 2017
What a great weekend!
Friday night started off at Rising Star Ranch with a delicious buffet and a colt preview, showcasing some of the great, young horses that will be competing in the 2017 show ring this year. Mike Davis talked about the FAST Legal/Defense effort and the WHTA Youth Council members sold Easter eggs and passed the buckets around to collect money. The total raised on Friday night for the Legal/Defense Fund was $15,271.01.
Saturday night started off with a chili and hot dog picnic at Pleasant Valley Farms. PVF put on a great Spring Fling starting with both a live and silent auction and ending with another great colt preview of rising young equine stars. Mike Davis again took to the mic and explained the importance of what the industry has been doing to preserve the show industry. The WHTA Youth Council again also passed their buckets for a total of $1226. All the kids did a great job both nights. Thank you goes to Counti Green, Jayden Jackson, Cohen Abernathy, Anne Marie Beard, Taylor Legate, Georgia Hazelwood, Jessica and Jonathan Lawwell and Will Derickson for their hard work.
Jeff Green gave a $1,000 challenge to all the trainers to give to the Legal Fund and presented his check to Mike Davis.
Between the auctions and colt preview at PVF on Saturday night, a total of $21,581 was raised. On top of that, the $25 colt inspection fee was donated to the Spencer Benedict Stables fund. Two photos were donated by Shane Shiflet and were auctioned off with the proceeds of the individual photos going to two industry families in memory of two trainers that we have lost recently: Doug Barnes and Chad Baucom. A total of $650 was raised for the Doug Barnes family, $925 for the Spencer Benedict Stables Emergency Fund and $950 for the Chad Baucom family. The Baucom family donated their earnings back to the Legal Defense Fund in the memory of Chad Baucom.
A total of $36,852.01 was raised between the two nights for three families and the TWH industry.
FAST thanks Rising Star Ranch, David and Buie Williams and Pleasant Valley Farms, Andy and Nick Rippy for hosting the two events and providing great places for eager spectators to see the new talented colts.
Special thanks go to Julie Lambert and the WHTA Youth Council and Chris Elliott for putting together the silent and live auction at PVF.
There are many people to thank for helping this weekend. A special thanks goes to Frank and Debbie Eichler for the use of Rising Star Ranch, as well as Andy, Lynn, Kaitlyn and Nick Rippy for allowing us to use Pleasant Valley Farm. Thank you to Freda Dean, Kathy and Zach Zeis, Stephanie and Cindy Elliott for helping with the auction and a huge thanks to the FAST Board of Directors and the many other volunteers.
We are looking for a great 2017 Show Season. Walk Strong!
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