10/15/2020
Ray of Light

~ October Newsletter ~

This will be a fun event regardless of the time of the day. However, we do recommend coming after the sun sets, so you can see all the beautiful lights. The trails are so much more magical in the dark.

 

This year, we are starting our event a bit earlier, at 5:45pm to accommodate those "little goblins" who need to get to bed early. The last time slot available will be 7:45pm. You can purchase tickets right through our website by CLICKING HERE. Tickets are $5 per person.

Event dates are:

October 9th, 10th, 17th, 23rd & 24th

Statewide Veterans Stand Down Event

 

The Horse Feathers Veterans Program presented a virtual session at this year’s 2020 Connecticut Veterans Stand Down.  This year, rather than the physical event usually held at the Rocky Hill Veterans Facility, it was a virtual one.  Many state and federal agencies, as well as non-profit and private organizations, provided information on a variety of interesting topics on Thursday, September 24th.  We were honored to be asked to participate and we provided information about our program through videos and a PowerPoint presentation. 

 

Each presenting organization utilized the Microsoft Teams remote viewing program and veterans were given links to access the session for which they registered.  Horse Feathers had a 2:00 P.M. time slot and at the end of our presentation of approximately 30 minutes, we entertained questions from the participants.  It was a rewarding experience and we hoped that we provided valuable information to veterans throughout the state. 

 

We have a great steady established group that has been enjoying the program for almost 6 years. It is our hope to continue to expand the program by including evening sessions and Walkabouts for Veterans, on top of our already existing Wednesday morning sessions.  With the opportunity to present at events such as the Stand Down, we are confident that Horse Feathers will become more and more popular and helpful in the next year. 

 

NEW TO THE FARM!!!

Meet Jack, Harley, Daisy, Smudge and Cupcake
 

Just on the other side of the river from East Haddam, there’s a farm set way back in the woods. That’s where these little sweethearts came from. Their owner fell ill a couple of years ago, and has struggled to care for them ever since. It was a heartbreak for the owner, and it’s a difficult time for us to be taking in rescues. But when we received the call for help and went to take a look at the situation, there was not much to think about. The person and the donkeys desperately needed help. They kept escaping and their owner could not keep up with the fence repairs.


Their names are Cupcake, Smudge, Jack, Harley and Flower and we brought them to the farm late Friday, September 19th, 2020. They stayed in quarantine until the vet was able to come and do overall evaluations on each donkey, and give all needed vaccines. They were given a clean bill of health by our veterinarian. Their hooves will still need continuous help for quite some time, to get them back to good shape.

 

We are now into October, and these little donkeys have settled in quite well. Turns out they are very friendly, and not too shy at all. They like a little butt scratching here and there. Everyone is very, very polite and gentle about taking food straight out of a human hand. Most of them have been fairly easy to catch and halter for regular daily handling. Smudge has always been the very first one to come over and practically put a halter on herself! The one that is the most shy around humans is Cupcake, the daughter of Smudge. The other three are alright. The greatest news of all; the donkeys were all fabulously behaved for their shots & our veterinarian! They are also quite good for picking up feet, so starting with hoof care has been almost a breeze. Smudge was so very good for her first trim, she almost fell asleep!

 

So all is good in the Donkey Kingdom today. They are just about ready for adoption. Once that is official, we will post all updates, adoption fees and availability on our Facebook page. So keep an eye out for new Facebook posts, and more photos of these cuties! And by all means, if you are able to give a little financial support to them, that would be greatly appreciated. Various ways to donate are listed at the bottom of this newsletter.

The Holiday Gift Card Bonanza

Online Auction, November 20th - 28th

Let's keep the light shining for all

 

Please help us support our local vendors by purchasing a Gift Card from them, and donating it to this Fundraiser. You can pick up Gift Cards from your favorite local business and send the card to us, or drop off in person. You can also easily purchase a Gift Card online through Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc. Options are unlimited, you choose!

Have your order shipped right to us:

Ray of Light Farm, 232 Town Street, East Haddam, CT 06423

 

All proceeds from the Fundraiser will go directly to caring for all of our animals and the community they help. The Auction Event will run through November 20th - 28th. All items will be available to preview before this time.

 

Convenient bidding from the comforts of your home

Bidding and all items can be found at

http://charityauction.bid/rayoflightfarm

 

Clean Out Your Closets!

Our clothing drive is back again! 

Collecting now through November 15th, 2020.

Bags of soft goods, no hangers please. 

 

Help us by emptying out those closets and drawers. We will only be accepting "soft" goods including shoes, bedding, clothing, boots, purses, towels, curtains, etc. We will NOT accept any other goods such as knick knacks, books, kitchen appliances, toys, or any other "hard" items. All goods should be in plastic bags, no boxes, as Savers now requires all items to be bagged.


On November 15th, all of these items will be taken to Savers, where we will receive a donation for the entire weight of the load. That money goes directly into our Horse Feathers Veterans Program, to benefit all the Veterans, and the animals included in this program. Any amount of items will be a great help.

 

Read more about our Veterans Program HERE.

 

All donations can be dropped off at the farm.

We are open Thursday-Sunday, 10:00am - 4:00pm.

Please consider sending in a donation. There are multiple easy ways to donate.

 

Send in a check through the mail to:
Ray of Light Farm

232 Town Street, East Haddam, CT 06423

 

Make a donation over the phone by using your card. Call us at (860) 873-1895.