Our newest Board Member, Arielle Lubin, is about to attend her graduation from MIT.  Amazingly, she found the time to organize a fund raising event on the MIT campus. She arranged a chocolate decorating class taught  by a professional local chocolatier. Arielle spent many hours making ganache to roll and dip into hundreds of truffles.

Arielle Lubin holding Amadeus

Participants then used an airbrush machine, patterned cocoa butter sheets, luster dust and all sorts of cocoa butter to create and decorate their delicious wares. All of the different types of chocolate were on display, and Arielle shared information with participants about the important work of the Kaeli Kramer Foundation.

Our newest arrival is Cody. This senior citizen performed numerous jobs in his life. He taught many children how to ride. Cody took good care of his inexperienced young charges and forgave their errors. He also performed in drill teams and served as a trail horse. His kind, honest and forgiving nature earned him a place at Kaeli’s sanctuary.

As he trained for his first race, at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, the 3-year-old thoroughbred Wes Vegas galloped on the track most mornings and had two timed workouts. But his handlers also prepared him in another way: In the month before the race, records show, he received 10 intravenous injections of potent drugs for pain, one the day before he ran; two injections of a drug for joint disease; corticosteroid injections in his two front ankles; a sedative; and an ulcer drug.

Read the full article on the NY Times: Big Purses, Sore Horses, and Death

Darci, our off the track Thoroughbred has a new family. She has been adopted by Nicole Peres at Seven Meadows Farm in Goshen , New York. The happy and confident mare settled right in and met many new friends!

We thank Islandia Farms for taking such good care of Darci during her stay there.

Darci

Darci

The escapees: Spaghetti, Noel and Jingle Bells

Springtime at Seven Meadows

A kind eye

The Lord and Taylor Fundraiser was a great success. We thank all of our friends for their kind support.

Thank you and warmest regards,
Linda and Peter Kramer

left to right: Julia Sharpe-Levine, Elizabeth Sharpe-Levine, Kaeli Kramer, Arielle Lubin, Catherine Schlingheyde

Kaeli and I were making the early morning drive to the Knox School during the Spring of her Junior year, when we made the usual turn onto Nissequoge River Road, which is a narrow and windy road fronting marshland on one side.   A few minutes onto the road, we came around a curve and suddenly saw a deer, collapsed on the right edge of the road, apparently having been hit by a car.

We had never seen deer in this area, and we immediately stopped and called 911.  Without a word, Kaeli went to the trunk of my car to get a beach blanket. I then moved the car into the curve to block oncoming traffic, as Kaeli started to approach the panicked deer.

Arielle and Kaeli

Speaking softly to the deer she slowly moved closer, until she could cover his face and head with the blanket. Almost immediately after his face was covered, the deer stopped struggling, but was shaking violently. He was obviously seriously injured and there was blood on the roadway. Kaeli covered him with the rest of the blanket.

Moments later, police arrived and called for Animal Control, but in a few minutes, the deer stopped moving and died.  The police officer told us that he had seen a few deer in this area, as they slowly migrate to the west.

We continued our drive to Knox in silence, but Kaeli’s eyes filled with tears as she told me how much she regretted not yet being a veterinarian, and not yet having the experience and knowledge that might have saved the injured deer.  I could only comfort Kaeli by reminding her that her kind and gentle handling of the deer gave him warmth and comfort during his last moments of life, and that she would eventually have the knowledge and skill which was her dream.

It is in the spirit of this experience, that we now celebrate Arielle Lubin’s acceptance to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, for the Fall of 2012.  Arielle is Kaeli’s close childhood friend who is graduating from MIT. Today March 15 , 2012 is Kaeli’s 22nd birthday, and we are honored to announce Arielle’s agreement to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Kaeli Kramer Foundation. Since kindergarten, both girls dreamed of working together as veterinarians.

Kara with Linda and Peter Kramer at the Curriculum Fair

Kara Bromschwig, an avid horse lover and a sixth grade student in the South Huntington School District, chose the Kaeli Kramer Foundation as the subject for her curriculum fair project. Kara found out about the foundation through Boots, Bridles and Britches, a Huntington tack shop where Kaeli had worked. To learn more about the foundation, Kara visited the Holtsville Ecology Center where she and her family were given a tour by wildlife specialist  Kellei Burke. Kara met mustangs Callie and Valor, and learned about the plight of America’s wild horses. She wrote a most informative and heartfelt report  covering many humane issues such as horse slaughter, Premarin mares, and the rescue of unwanted horses. Kara also created a beautiful tri-fold board about the work of Kaeli’s foundation which we will display at our public events. We thank Kara for her outstanding presentation and exceptional efforts to make a difference in the lives of horses.

Update:

To order tickets online :
www.lordandtaylor.com/dogood

1. Click on HELP LOCAL NON PROFITS
2. Click on MANHASSET store
3. Select KAELI KRAMER FOUNDATION from drop down list

In 2011, we were the top ticket seller
Let’s win again in 2012
Thank you for your continued support!

Shop for the latest fashions at Lord & Taylor and support the Kaeli Kramer Foundation.

• The Kaeli Kramer Foundation keeps 100% of all ticket sales. $5 per ticket
• The bonus coupon and savings pass are Lord & Taylor’s best offers of the year with very limited exclusions.
• On Fundraising Day, there are many ways to save. Each $5 ticket includes a 20% bonus coupon to be used on one special item and a 15% savings pass to be used all day long on regular and sale-priced merchandise storewide including cosmetics and fragrances. Save even more by opening a Lord & Taylor charge account on Fundraising Day and received an extra 15% off your purchases. Current Lord & Taylor cardholders receive an additional 10% on top of all the other great savings.
• There will be special events and appearances at each store.
• Help us earn even more: the top three organizations with the highest ticket sales will receive an additional bonus from
  Lord & Taylor.
• Drop off your ticket stub(s) at Lord & Taylor on Fundraising Day to automatically enter our non-profit group for a chance to win the $1,000 Attendance Sweepstakes. Ballot boxes will be stationed at every store entrance.
• The Kaeli Kramer Foundation will be eligible to receive a share of ticket sales on the day of the event if we sell at least 50 tickets prior to Fundraising Day. Help us reach our goal!
• Can’t come on April 25? PRE-SALE DATE April 15.

Saturday and/or Sunday

March 24 – 25 2012

Join us at the beautiful Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, NY

Please RSVP to grnislandsangha@gmail.com

Free Will Donation

This two day offering by Michael and Fern offers practicing with Mother Earth on Saturday for families and children (and the child in ourselves) and on Sunday for young adults  and adults. Come for one or both days and enjoy the beauty of the Arboretum, the practice of mindfulness, lovely teachers and community.

[Read more →]