Something wonderful happened over the weekend at Safe Harbor Stables, something that will have a tremendous impact on the lives of the horses who live there and the volunteers who care for them. To truly understand the scope of this, keep in mind that in the two years we’ve resided at Safe Harbor, we’ve had one…that’s right, ONE…above-ground water spigot to deliver water to the entire property. It’s been two years struggling with long, long hoses and hand carrying buckets in freezing temperatures. But this weekend, that struggle finally came to an end.

Safe Harbor now has four…that’s right, FOUR…brand new frost-free water spigots, strategically placed around the property to easily deliver water to every horse in every barn. 

To say that this was a group effort would be an understatement, because so many people worked together to make this possible. It’s pretty amazing how this project came together, but it’s proof that SAFE is blessed by the people who make up our community!

First off, we have to thank Mr. David Baerg of Ralph’s Pump & Well who donated all of the labor and equipment that was needed to install this new watering system. David saved us thousands of dollars in labor costs by doing this work for us, and he did a magnificent job. David, our gratitude to you knows no bounds. We will be thinking warm and happy thoughts about you every time we fill a water trough, spray down a hot, dusty horse, or wash our hands. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. 

With donated labor, we only had to cover the cost of materials for the water spigot project, and that was made possible by a generous donation from Mr David Freeburg, managing partner of Slab Jack NW. Mr Freeburg’s willingness to help us fund this need was the catalyst that got this project off the ground, turning it from a dream into a reality. When the project came in under budget, Mr Freeburg instructed us to take the unused portion of his donation and use it to pay for the other fencing and graveling projects underway at the farm. David, as we promised when you handed over the check, you are always welcome to stop by Safe Harbor and drink from the hose! You have made a wonderful difference in the lives of our horses and our volunteers, thank you!

We also want to thank Heather Andreini for deciding to celebrate her 40th Birthday by having a work party at SAFE! Heather and her family and friends spent Saturday working on the water project as well as putting up fencing, clearing brush, weed wacking, and making the farm look fantastic. Heather we’re just tickled that you’d choose to spend your birthday making things so much nicer for our horses! And let’s not forget…we would not have had the assistance of David Baerg if not for you…seeing as how he is your brother! You have a wonderful family and a terrific group of friends! Thank you for introducing them to SAFE in such a meaningful way. Happy birthday!!

And finally, a heartfelt thank you to our own Victoria Guy, who was the force behind this incredible project. Victoria, your planning and organization really paid off in a big way! Thank you so much for working so tirelessly to make this happen. And thank you to Debi Shatos for procuring the donated funds we needed to get this project off the ground. I know it’s been a long time dream of yours to have more water spigots at the farm — congratulations for making that dream come true!

Here are pictures from Saturday, enjoy!!