Getting To Know Circle F Horses, A Supported Winchester Family Business Charity
A few of you may have noticed our new banner ad on the Winchester Family Business Fandom Page showing our enthusiastic support for Circle F Horse Rescue in Abbotsford, BC. I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce this dedicated charity and why we’re involved with spreading the word about their efforts.
Circle F Horses first came on our radar when Samantha Ferris, in Sablegreen’s interview with her last October, told us about the volunteer work she’s done with this charity the last five years. We also supported a fan fundraiser on behalf of one of their horses in February. You can read all about that horse, Dallas, at their Newsletters, Articles, and Twitter Stories page.
"He has had three body work sessions, two hoof trimming re-adjustments and gets brushed and loved every-day by myself or our grandson. Dallas just loves Reeve our grandson. He follows him everywhere when Reeve is in the paddock with him. Reeve asks him to put his head down so he can put on his face mask or take it off, plus his halter when needed and Dallas is more than happy to do so. Reeve has found that Dallas also loves his belly scratched from front to back. Puts a big smile on both of their faces. Dallas is going to have one more body work done today and then he is getting fitted for his new boots. He is in heaven (relaxed) when the body worker and the farrier work on him. He is a bit nervous around new people but we take it slow and he relaxes. He loves his walks and now when he has his new boots on, our grandson will be able to be a passenger if Dallas can hold any weight. We will see how he feels first. Take care and Dallas says hi to you all.”
Update 7/2, Here's some very good news from Circle F horses today on Twitter.
@CircleFHorses #ADOPTION – our beautiful poster boy Dallas has been adopted! We're beyond happy for him! https://twitter.com/CircleFHorses/status/219904321188397056/photo/1
If you recall, Dallas was the horse a bunch of Supernatural fans jumped in to help raise funds for in February and we supported the fundraiser. Congratulations to Circle F and Dallas. The fans truly have made a difference.
Updated 5/23, Message from Circle F: Your sponsorship dollars at work AGAIN – Dallas got a new grazing muzzle which will help him keep on track with his diet.
Updated 5/19, Message from Circle F: Dallas had alignment/lameness issues and tests were done on intermittent lameness on his front feet. The vet advises us that this is treatable through corrective shoes on his front feet. Your sponsorship dollars at work- Dallas is getting corrective shoes on his front feet.
Circle F’s needs are continuous and we were contacted by them to offer any ongoing support we can. “Supernatural” fans and fan sites have a long and successful history with fundraisers, and there have been many as of late. We're often seeing messages from fans and sites kicking off big fundraisers with a lot of fanfare, heavy promotion, and pleas for much needed donations. We here at The Winchester Family Business support every single one. But we’re also smart enough to know if we tried such a thing here, we’d suck at it.
Me personally, I’m not someone who loves going to extreme lengths to meet financial goals, try bold contests, run auctions, etc. I have deep admiration for those that do. When I promote a charitable organization, I like to let the charity and their work speak for themselves. Awareness is the key, especially with animal causes that I have staunchly supported for years. So that’s our goal. We aren't running a fundraiser here. It's an ongoing sponsorship. In our endorsement of Circle F Horses, our goal is to raise awareness. Once you hear about their work from us, if you choose to donate, that’s fantastic. If you choose to spread the word, that’s great too. We just want people to know what they’re doing to make a difference, and we believe the reward will follow.
With that awareness, plus support for any official fundraiser that Circle F themselves run, we will not be offering our endorsement in the name of “Supernatural” or any actors/producers/crew affiliated with the show (unless someone steps forward asking us to). We are an independent “Supernatural” fan site supporting this charity all on our own. We know this is a generous fandom and that’s enough for us.
Now that I’ve gotten the technicalities out of the way, how about I share some straight forward facts about Circle F and all the amazing work they’re doing when it comes to making a better life for neglected and abused horses.
- Circle F Horse Rescue Society was founded in 1997. The F stands for “Freedom.” Their motto and philosophy, “Freedom from neglect, Freedom from abuse, the Freedom to have a good home.”
- Circle F is funded through donation, special events, adoption fees, and gifts in kind such as hay, tack, and professional services. They also apply for various community and corporate grants.
- Circle F’s future goal is to purchase or have donated a permanent facility. This is known as their “Forever Home” initiative.
- Since 2001, Circle F has acquired 133 horses and adopted 119 of them. Out of all those horses, only 7 have had to be put down. They are deeply dedicated to taking remarkable care of these horses, many who have suffered from some sort of injury due to neglect.
- Horses can be adopted, or they can be sponsored. Their sponsor a horse program ranges from $50 a month to $200 per month for a minimum of six months. If a sponsored horse is adopted, the money will be transferred to another horse.
- As of end of 2011, there were 66 volunteers for Circle F, and several have received either a ten, five, or three year pin in recognition.
- Total expenses for the 2011 came to a little over $65,000. $11,000 of that was for Veterinary costs, medicines, and medical supplies. Rent and utilities are the heaviest expenses.
- Circle F’s largest fundraiser is the Poker Ride & Walk every September. They are also now on Twitter at @CircleFHorses and have been able to reach out for donations using the power of the tweet!
So how can you donate? The links are below, and we will be keeping these links on our fandom page for your easy access. Still not convinced? Go to http://www.circlef.ca and read the testimonials. Or follow them at @CircleFHorses on Twitter or Like on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/circlef) and get regular updates about all that they’re doing. They really are making a difference in Western Canada and surrounding areas, and with your support they can do so much more.
Looking for a "Forever Home"
Annual Newsletter
Sponsor A Horse
How You Can Donate:
Canada Helps
PayPal
Jennifer Pitt's Giving Pages Fundraiser
Circle F on Facebook
Circle F on Twitter
Thank you.