Help Make a Difference!

[the chi]

Hey guys, below is a letter from a friend of mine, we are currently working on this project together. This is just one of the many things we are working on for this group and I am hoping that a few of you might take a couple minutes to help us out.

If you can take a couple of minutes, write something up, send it to me via PM (with your full name please) and I will paste it into the template addressed to ABC and print it out for our package. We would greatly appreciate it!

I know you arent locals, but these folks pay out of their own slim pocket for buses to go all up and down the east coast to military bases to get these military members and their families down here to get in the program and given the opportunity, they'd like to do it nationwide. Words can't really do justice for what these folks are doing, but if you're ever in the area, they'd love to show you what they do and tell you why. They have an incredible story and so do the folks they work so hard to help.

I am a writer, photographer, and documenter of the lives of extraordinary people, and I am putting together a short video documentary along with an application, photos, and 500 letters, for Mike and Debra Randall and their Hopes and Dreams Riding Facility INC out of Quitman, Georgia; with a STRONG belief that they deserve an ABC Extreme Makeover. And an even stronger belief that if this application package is put together like planned, then Ty Pennington will be shouting at their front door in the near future.

I need your help in writing a letter of nomination for them to receive an ABC Extreme Home Makeover! Just write up a few sentences describing why you think they are deserving and send it back to me by August 20th. But please take a minute to understand exactly what they do, and why they deserve this help!

If you are unaware of what they do, they provide free equine therapy for wounded warriors, and combat veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. They operate out of their ranch in Quitman, Georgia, and serve approximately 500+ veterans and their families, as well as a few odd cases that show up for help each year. They refuse money for these services, and most importantly feel like our military hero's need somewhere they can go to deal with physical and emotional stresses from war. Without worrying about how it will be paid for.

You can see their story at www.hopesanddreamsridingfacility.com

Currently they have plans to bus down entire units from about 4-5 different states along the eastern United States; usually 80-100 troops at a time on each bus. The troops can bring their families, they camp on the Randall's ranch, and ride horses, fish, kayak, swim, hunt, and take advantage of free counseling and physical therapy services. They are provided every meal, transportation, tents, and gear by the Randall's.

The Randalls are selfless people, giving up renovations to their own home (which is in not so great shape) to provide proper equipment, helmets, harnesses, food for the horses, and anything necessary so that no single person will ever be turned away from their ranch. And even now, they don't want to have anything fixed in their home if it means they can just get a barn, a cabin for troops to sleep, and a big cook house! These troops deserve more then a tent!

These soldiers have given limbs, lives, hearts and minds for this country, and the Randall's want to give a little bit of their own blessed country-side to these soldiers. No charge, just because they know it is needed.

With that background, I am trying to collect at least 500 letters of nomination from anyone that believes in what they are doing, and feels it important to get them the facilities, equipment and tools they need to keep up with the massively growing demand on them.

If you know of anyone else that might be willing to show their support, please forward them this request!

Edit to add, we wont be selling or sharing your info with anyone other than ABC when we send the letters, so people wont be contacting you randomly about this!! If you feel better leaving off phone number and email, please feel free to do so!