The Windrush Whisper

Purchase a Raffle Ticket : Win Big!

Grand Prize: An official major league baseball autographed by two-time World Series Champion and Red Sox manager Terry Francona. Valued at $275!

Tickets are 1 for $5 or 5 for $20

Buy a raffle ticket now...

Or email me!!!!

Drawings every hour at Farm Day on Saturday, May 3.

You need not be present to win!

More prizes include...

• Fuddruckers Gift Certificates
• Cedardale One Month Membership for You and a Friend
• Six (6) Three String Coupons at Academy Lanes
• Not Your Average Joes Gift card
• Metro Rock - Two (2) one-day passes to indoor rock climb
• Elements Massage -One (1) 80-minute massage
• Fitness Together - 3 sessions with a personal trainer
• Family Pack at Pottery Isle

Buy a raffle ticket now...

Equine Expo: April 19 Topsfield Fair Grounds

If you are in need of any tack or equipment, then visit the Equine Expo Paraphernalia Sale held on April 19th at the Topsfield Fairgrounds. Windrush Friends from the Burnstock Riding Club will staff a booth and the proceeds from the sale will directly benefit the participants at Windrush Farm.

A Rider Profile: Dean

I almost can’t find words to express how much Windrush Farm, the volunteers and the horses have affected our family. Our son Dean has Prader-Willi syndrome, which is a rare genetic disorder that creates global delays that affect Dean’s mental status, gross & fine motor control and behavior. The children with Prader-Willi tend to have low muscle tone, transition issues, emotional outbursts, obsessive/compulsive disorder and perseverism.

Dean began riding at Windrush, after he had recovered from surgery to rebuild both of his hips. He was a difficult boy, and yet the staff never lost patience, even when we, his parents, came into the barn looking exasperated and overwhelmed. Pam, Priscilla or Susan were quick to give a reassuring hug or pat to Dean, as well as to us and say, “Go on…have an hour to yourself, relax, we’ve got him”....

Photo Courtesy of John Hazelton

Cocktail Party Host or Hostess Wanted

Do you like entertaining? Want to share the wonders of Windrush with your friends?

Windrush needs five (5) fairy godpeople to host a cocktail party this spring. If you have been wanting an excuse to have a gathering...here is it!

It can be as large or small as you would like. Pick a date, set the stage, invite your friends, ask each guest to each make a donation to Windrush, and have a fabulous time!

It's a great way to have fun AND help a good cause at the same time.

Email me if you're interested!!!

Farm Day Needs Your Help!

We need your help...find out how!

1) Save the date and join us for the day for pony rides, arts & crafts, tractor rides, demonstrations, food and much more!

2) Donate your gently used children and teen books for our sale at Farm Day. (You can drop them off anytime before May 3 at the office)

3) Bake cookies, brownies, pies, etc.for us to sell at our bake sale table at Farm Day. (You can drop them off anytime on Friday, May 2 or Saturday morning, May 3 at the office)

4) Do you own any farm animals? Can they come for the day and be part of our petting zoo? We need piglets, goats, mini horses, and any other cuddly farm animals. Email me!

5) Volunteer the day of the event. Or help clean the farm the week before the event.  We always need helpers at our bake sales, plant sales, arts & crafts booths, etc. Email Gina.

6) Spread the word! Pass along this email and information about Farm Day to your friends and family members. Or post a flyer in your home town...in the supermarket or the drug store or at the hardware store, etc. Print a flyer...

Esperanza Academy and Windrush

Like bacon and eggs, or vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, little girls and horses naturally go together. At least that’s how the middle schoolers at Esperanza Academy in Lawrence feel about the horses they work with at Windrush Farm.speranza is a school for disadvantaged girls that is in session for most of the year, from 7:30 each morning until 6:30 in the evening.

The school is free to those chosen by lottery to attend. They get three meals a day, uniforms, rigorous academics… and the chance to fall in love with a pony like Bearito or Tucker or Judge.

During the school year, ten Esperanza students come to Windrush on Thursday afternoons to groom, tack and ride their equine best friends. Last year a group of girls from the school came to the summer program for a week. They are still talking about this transforming immersion experience that they had from 9a.m. to 4p.m. for five days in August. In fact, when Esperanza published its first newspaper in November, the following articles told everyone just what the Windrush program was like.

Farm Day: May 3, 2008 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Farm Day is our annual spring open house. It is a time when the farm welcomes the community to come and witness the wonders that happen at Windrush.

There are games, pony rides, demonstrations, bake sales, plant sales, tractor rides and more. Without a doubt there is always a miniature pony wandering around the farm looking for kids to become friends with or a clown hoping to find someone to help her blow up balloon animals.

This is a community building event. Windrush Farm Day has advertising and sponsorship opportunities available.

This year's event will take place Saturday May 3, 2008 10 a.m to 4 p.m.

There are still a few sponsorship opportunities available. Find out more...


For more information please contact me, jenny@windrushfarm.org.

Horses for Heroes Update

Update: 3-19-08: We think this program is finally off the ground! There is a group of three veterans coming today, from 2 to3 p.m. to take the program for a test run. If all goes well, they will be in our spring session, full time! How exciting!!!!

Update 3-12-08: We still have three scholarships available. Do you know of anyone who would benefit? Or a support group that we could share this exciting information with? Help us help our friends who fought so bravely for our country.

Three Scholarships Available for Veterans

Windrush now has three spring scholarships available for veterans with disabilities including:

• Head & Spinal Cord Injuries
• Amputation (both upper and lower limb)
• Auditory & Visual Impairments
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Do you know of any veterans recently home from the current conflict who would benefit from this unique therapy? If you do, please contact Josselyn.

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Are you a writer?

Well why not help write about Windrush! I am always looking for people to write stories for the newsletter, blog, and even newspapers and publications. Or do you have another idea about how you can contribute? Are you a photographer? Or a webmaster? Or just a friend with an idea? I'd love to hear from you...