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| April 1999 |
You are here: Newsletters > April 1999
by Debbie Frank
There’s no way to say enough thank you’s; no way to repay the kindnesses; no way to truly show our appreciation to every individual associated with ERRI. Our fondest hope is that each person who is motivated to volunteer or to donate will be in some way touched by the horses, and will receive their thanks in many ways.
Still, inadequate though it may be, we try to honor our volunteers annually with a “thank you” dinner. This year’s dinner was held on February 21 at the Pioneer Pub. Board members and volunteers were presented with certificates of appreciation to thank them for all their help. It’s a small thing, but an important one, when we take the time to say thanks. I only hope they know how much their time and support means. Without their help, 50 horses would not be enjoying a better life.
Think about that for a minute. Fifty horses. Some retrained for new careers. Some taken out of bad situations and placed in better ones. Some rehabilitated from injuries and illnesses. Some finding love they long dreamed about and some for the first time at all. “Ok,” you say, “so we helped 50. There are countless more.” True. And we can’t hope to help them all. But it reminds me of a famous story about a man on the beach throwing starfish into the ocean. Another man saw him and asked what he was doing. The beachcomber explained that when the tide goes out, starfish are left on the beach, and if he doesn’t throw them back, they will die. The man told him he was crazy, since there were hundred – maybe thousands – of starfish. You can’t possibly hope to make a difference here, he told him. The first man just quietly picked up another starfish and flung it far out into the sea. Then he turned to the man and said, “It made a difference to that one.”
It might be small when we thank you. But when our equine “stars” thank you, I hope you feel truly blessed.
Lucy Cook was one of the volunteers honored at the Awards Dinner.