Consumed with Northstar

To say the least, I have been consumed with things concerning Northstar, as I have been absent from my own blog, slightly from Dreaming of Three, although, raising funds for such things like the Northstar situation is what DO3 is all about. 

When I closed my last entry, I was about to go and meet Northstar on September 11.  I recruited another TEAM DO3 member, Melissa McCorkle to drive to Columbus Ohio to Ohio State University to meet Northstar, his owner, Jessie and her daughter Loretta, Jayne May, who had started the fund raising through helpnorthstar.com, and the team at OSU.   

We arrived about 11:00 a.m.  Jayne came out excitingly giving hugs and introduced me to Loretta and Jessie.  Then we headed into the clinic to meet Northstar.  I was lucky to have arrived AFTER they had covered up his worst wounds at his withers, where the bone was exposed.  However, Jayne took some photos.

Team at OSU working on Northstar.

 

As you can see, his withers and shoulder are where the worst of the burns were on his body.  The bone is exposed.  Seeing this photo brought tears to my eyes, as Northstar, still is a perfect gentleman, and is so loving towards people yet. 

 

 

 

 

We each took turns loving on him, and he sucked up every moment!

 

Me giving Northstar some delicious apples.

Jayne May, President of Northstar Equine Foundation Inc.



TEAM DO3 member Melissa McCorkle



Northstar's owner, Jessie Woodworth

Dr. Sam Hurcombe also giving Northstar some love!



 

We were even able to take Northstar outside for some much needed fresh air!  He was very curiuous about everything outside.

Northstar loving the camera and the attention!



After we did some visiting, we talked to Jane, who is the media/publicity coordinator at OSU.  She informed us that OSU was starting it's own fund, called the Northstar Fund at OSU as well.  We told her our stories, of how none of us knew each other before two weeks before when each one of us involved, stepped up to the plate to help Northstar and his owners.  Jayne and some of her friends with the Facebook Group page, Donations for Northstar to acquire donations through paypal and PNC bank, and myself with the silent auction that eventually ended up with 200 items and the tshirt sale which ended up with over 400 shirts ordered in the first round!  She was amazed at our story and told us she was going to sell that angle to the press, national, local, etc. 

 

We said our goodbye's to Northstar, Sam, Jessie, Loretta and Jayne and headed back the 3 1/2 hours home.  It certainly was an experience to say the least.  To be visiting this horse I've never met before, and falling in love with his spirit and determination.  To meet these women I've never met before, however feeling as if I've known them forever.  I returned home feeling more determined than ever to raise as much money as possible to help Northstar survive and to give him the veterinary care he desperately needed. 

 

We certainly had some bumps in the road since that day, with people doubting our sincerity, claiming we were fraudulent in our efforts, which no doubt took it's toll on all of us working round the clock for this cause.  Myself, for the auction, it was non-stop.  Adding items every night, monitoring the bids, as some would get hidden for whatever reason, answering questions regarding the items, and ontop of that taking tshirt orders and trying to keep all organized. 

 

I certainly learned alot about doing such a silent auction on Facebook!  I will most certainly do ALOT of things differently next time..IF there ever is a next time!  :)  Because I didn't expect it to get so large, I didn't mind if people would private message me on Facebook via my personal page, via DO3's page or email me.  Unfortunately, because these added items were everywhere, I had a hard time locating each donator after the auction was over to inform them of the winner's address!  SO, next time, it will be emailing me the information ONLY, along with the subject: Northstar Silent Auction.  Therefore making it easy to locate when it's time to email the winners address.  I did keep a spreadsheet, therefore making it slightly easier.  In the end, when all was tallied, Dreaming of Three was able to donate over $7200 to Northstar Equine Foundation Inc.!!!  So, I am VERY proud of that fact, and all my hard work and sleepless nights was worth it in the end.  I certainly am thankful to all those that bid and all those that donated!  I never would have thought it would have grown as big as it did, but I am happy it did!

 

Stupidly, I made the end of the silent auction the same day as the deadline order date for the tshirts!  So, not only was I swamped with sending invoices, I was also tallying up tshirts!  Which wasn't an easy task with over 400 shirts!  PLUS, with the addition of the long sleeve, made it hard as well, as I do believe we missed the fact in those first few days of having the long sleeve,  that some of the orders were long sleeve and not the short sleeve in our tally. 

 

 
Needless to say, I was a bit overwhelmed with trying to keep up with it all!  I think I had myself in way over my head!  Which I certainly didn't intend.  I didn't think it would be such a snowball effect with the auction nor with the tshirts, as in the past fund raising tshirts we had perhaps 150 or so shirts ordered where I could handle on my own, no where near 400! 

Knowing that packing would be an extreme task for just myself this time around, I asked for my Team members to come and have a tshirt packing party!  Alot of them didn't hesitate to spend their afternoon with me packing up shirts for Northstar! Plus, I made it on a day there was no Steeler game, and fortunately barrel races were cancelled!  So, my hubby and I cleaned our garage, set up some tables, and prepared the area for some fun!

Shirts shirts and more shirts!

Folding



Getting in envelopes





Taping

 

Inspecting ~ Koda

 

It took us about 2 1/2 hours from when we started to when we finished up and had some pizza and snacks!  I am certainly thankful I have such great Team members that want to participate in fund raising other than in the arena!

TEAM DO3 Tshirt crew with the BIG CHECK to Northstar of $7214.01
Jackie, Melissa, Megan, Sandra, Beth, Mari, Morgan, Sierra, Shane & Koda

 

 

To say the least, I was exhausted by the end of that week!  THEN stupidly, I made the 2nd batch order date for the long sleeve/2nd round of short sleeve for October 1!  The very day that I had to take the 1st round of shirts and mail!  I have NO IDEA what I was thinking! 

 

With all this exhausting work however, it is well worth it in the end, as seeing Northstar recovering well, makes me feel good inside that I am doing my utmost best to raise as much money as possible to keep him in good hands and healing and a happy life after.

 

Sam & Northstar

The Northstar Equine Foundation, Inc, continues to think of new ways to continue to raise funds for Northstar's care in the future as well as now.  We will be holding our first rally and benefit November 10, 2012 at :

Mound Grove Golf Course

‎10760 Donation Road‎, ‎Waterford, Pennsylvania

 

You can find all the information and even sign up to help at www.helpnorthstar.com. 

 

I think things are settling down a little bit for me in the Northstar area, so I can get back to my Team DO3 and Dreaming of Three's Rodeo Kids. I do plan on having another in January, in TEXAS, with our newly appointed Team Captain, Carley Hayes! 

I am organizing DO3's very first barrel racing clinic with Sharon Camarillo, hopefully May 24-26 at Snedeker's arena in Darlington, PA, where all proceeds will go to American Heart Assocation, American Cancer Association, Forever Safe Farms, and Northstar Equine Foundation, Inc.  This clinic will firstly be open to Team members and if not filled, will be open to the public to attend.  Spectators will be welcome as well, for a small fee also being donated to the charities. 

 

Dreaming of Three will also be filing Incorporation papers next week along with 501c status once we recieve the Inc. papers. 

 

I am also helping Forever Safe Farms with their first Gala in November as well, by helping them acquire some silent auction items. 

 

Rodeo Nws contacted me to do a story on my Rodeo Kid #4, Aaron Amon!  How exciting that will be for him!  He will not doubt be a super star one day!  I did finally manage to get all his photos and get his video done as well!  You can view it at:

https://vimeo.com/49393711 

 

So, big things continue to happen surrounding Dreaming of Three!  I hope it continues, although, hopefully things will get more level and smooth, so that I can get back to spending time with my family, horses, and friends barrel racing!