Welcome back to Leg Up Farm!

It has been a long time since we updated the blog and a lot has happened here at Leg Up Farm.

We are already providing service to over 300 children and their families since we opened in April of last year. We launched our Animal Assisted Programs last week and it has been great to see children working with the horses in our arena. It is amazing to see the difference we can make right away.

We kicked off our Courage To Dream Capital Campaign and have already raised over $2 million dollars. We are making great progress toward our goal of $5 million dollars and we can get there with your support.

Be sure to check out our new website. www..legupfarm.org A big thank you to CTI Networks for helping us out.

There is more to come and announce so be sure to check back frequently and as always, thank you all for your support!

Grand Opening October 16, 2010

Thank you ALL for making our open house an absolutely amazing event! I cried, I laughed and I cried some more. We had more than 1,500 people in attendance! I truly appreciate all of the work that each of you did for the last 13 years to make this dream a reality. We are already serving more than 300 families and we are making a difference. Many Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1d4Tln5jhU

Rutter's Donates $50,000 to Leg Up Farm

THANK YOU Rutter's for making a $50,000 contribution to Leg Up Farm. We are so grateful to all of the Rutter's employees for making this genreous gift possible. Rutter’s donation is earmarked for an interactive therapy space called Matthew’s Town. Upon entering Matthew’s Town, children will be magically transported into a safe, realistic, sensory-enriched environment…complete with shops, sidewalks and a large grassy area. This interactive play space will be used to engage children in activities that support achieving their therapeutic and educational goals. If you are interested in exploring creative ways for your business brand to be represented in Matthew's Town, please call Leg Up Farm.

PHOTO: From left, Tim Rutter, President, M&G Realty; Todd Rutter, President, Rutter’s Dairy; Louis J. Castriota Jr., President and CEO, Leg Up Farm; Scott Hartman, President and CEO, Rutter’s Farm Stores.

We Need Your HELP to WIN $250,000!!!

We need your help to win a $250,000 grant for Leg Up Farm to build the “Rainbow Gardens”. We CAN make this happen together!

Pepsi has up to $1.3 million in Refresh Grants each month and each time a person votes, they help decide which projects receive funding. Leg Up Farm's application made it through Pepsi's judges and was posted on October 1st. We now have 31 days to win the popular vote in the $250,000 category and even though this is a national contest we aren't up against that many organizations.

This is a grass roots, marathon race where the organization who keeps everyone engaged everyday will win the money. I need you to share this on facebook & twitter plus email your friends & family. Ask them to vote everyday in October!

The easiest way to vote seems to be by texting 103318 to phone number 73774.

You can also vote online and see our application at:

www.refresheverything.com/legupfarm

The “Rainbow Gardens” are 24 different gardens all designed to provide fresh-air opportunities to children while providing visual and sensory stimulation, walking paths and increased education about the environment. Our entry had to make it past a team of Pepsi judges in order to qualify and the winners will be chosen by popular vote.

We are only up against a limited number of grant applications, so the organization that rallies everyone will win the money in 30 days. Yes…30 days and we may not have this opportunity again!

Your vote counts and will change a child's life. Thank you!

Leg Up Farm Open House October 16, 2010

It has taken the efforts of so many people to open the doors of Leg Up Farm and we want you to experience this wonderful place by attending our open house! All are welcome to attend and tour this unique facility created for children! You will have a chance to view our newly completed indoor riding arena/barn, observation area, Matthew's Town, classrooms and therapy rooms all while experiencing breathtaking views of the outdoors from our atrium and terrace.

The day's events begin with a ribbon cutting at 12pm and conclude at 4pm. Some of the festivities include music on the terrace, snacks in the observation area, a meet N' greet with our animals and an opportunity to be one of the first to see the York Traditions Bank facade in Matthew's Town.

I hope your family can join us for a fun afternoon at Leg Up Farm!

Thank You Central Market York!

Thank you Central Market York for raising money for Leg Up Farm! It is nice to know that so many people care about our mission of supporting children. Annette Fisher, operations manager at Central Market York and Dylan Bauer, owner of Chilly Dilly’s, organized a fundraiser for Leg Up Farm at Central Market’s Family Fun Day, held on Saturday, May 22. After the photo was snapped we tasted some of the yummy raspberry frozen yogurt at Chilly Dilly's and it was AWESOME! Sooo much great food at the Central Market!

Moxie Awards Annual Grant To Leg Up Farm

THANK YOU MOXIE!!!

Moxie is a full service advertising and communications firm and they will help Leg Up Farm to create promotional materials and collateral to brand our organization. We are in great need of these services becuase all of our current materials were created prior to opening the facility.

We are so excited to work with the Moxie team to create marketing materials that will help us to reach families in need of our services!

Check out the press release on facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/MoxieDM?ref=ts

I continue to be grateful for all of the wonderful people that live in our community. This is another example of a business giving back and it makes me smile!