Rocky’s Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation had 30 days to raise $ 14,000 to replace an important pickup truck – and the community did it in less than a week.
Sharon Burrier, co-founder of the Thurmont-based nonprofit, feared they would have to close their doors if the truck they relied on for years to rescue horses and haul vital supplies eventually broke. Volunteers called for action on social media, some spread the word verbally, and Burrier contacted the news post.
She hoped the church would hear her pleas, and she did. By Thursday, the rescue had the money they needed to get the truck home and more. By Sunday evening, Burrier said they had raised more than $ 26,800 in donations for the truck and found that she still had to check the mailbox that day. She called the effort “nothing short of a miracle”.
“I stood there crying,” said Burrier when she saw the money flow last week. “In my wildest dreams I would never have thought that people would know what we are doing with the horses out here.”
The rescue saves horses from possible slaughter and volunteers work with horse care specialists to help them get healthy again. Some horses are adopted while others spend their days in the sanctuary of rescue.
Checks came in the mail, GoFundMe raised just over $ 3,000, and donations flew through the virtual space on Venmo and PayPal. One person even made a donation, much to Burrier’s surprise. Additional money will be used to replace the truck bed and make other repairs. Any remaining funds will also benefit the horses, Burrier said.
The 2006 Ford F-350 is used to haul a horse trailer, hay, water and other supplies. It will be the ship that transports horses from the killing stables to the green pastures of Thurmont and is ready for emergency trips to the vet.
The truck had already been used on Sunday to transport material to repair the fence in the rescue, said Burrier.
She and her husband Danny wanted to express their gratitude to the public and speak to the companies that have helped them.
“Every dollar counts in our industry,” said Burrier. “Danny and I are very grateful for this support from the community … we would never have been able to do this without it.”
Bogley’s Auto Sales of Thurmont sold the truck at a discounted price, and The Hitch Man in Taneytown only charged the nonprofit for the labor of providing a hitch. Burrier also thanked Spectra Auto Sales, Don Hoffacker’s Air Conditioning and Heating, Resthaven Funeral Services, Golden Gears Car Club, The Bin Yard, Olde Towne Jewelers, and The Frederick News-Post.
Burrier was “shocked” that people stepped forward to keep the doors of rescue open.
“They’ll stay open for a long time now,” she said.
Follow Mary Grace Keller on Twitter: @MaryGraceKeller
