Main Street Community Foundation is 15!

The Main Street Community Foundation, which offers corporations, families and individuals a way to set up special funds and leave a legacy in their hometown for generations to come, is turning 15.
The foundation has an interesting history, which I included in a story for Wednesday's edition of The Bristol Press (http://www.bristolpress.com/). It all started because some local philanthropists and community-minded folks like Bob Merriman, Tom Barnes, John Smith, Terry Fletcher, Ed Lorenson and others decided that the area needed a community foundation.
It's great when a good idea truly takes flight and that's what happened here. Through the Main Street Community Foundation, families, companies and individuals can offer specific scholarships or grants to people and to non-profit organizations. There's nothing else just like it in the area.
The Foundation serves Bristol, Southington, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth and Wolcott.
A gala affair, silent auction and public auction at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington on Sept. 24 marks the anniversary bash. Tickets are $125 and are available from the foundation's office at 200 Main St. or by calling them at (860) 583-6363. Black tie optional, and foundation President Susan Sadecki promises a fun evening with dancing to a Motown band, good food and a few surprises.

Moonshine at Indian Rock

This is Moonshine, a lovely mustang.

These less-than-awesome photos show her in the new barn at Indian Rock nature preserve. They don't do her justice, of course. She's very pretty, and she's kinda nice. I met her today. She let me say hello and only sort of tried to eat my notebook.

She's the new horse at the preserve and is proudly owned by Lola Boss, the daughter of director Jon Guglietta. He bought the horse for her as a birthday present (wow, thanks, Dad!) and they're using at the Environmental Learning Centers to teach kids about farm animals and driving a horse pulling a wagon.

Lola, who has been helping run the Environmental Learning Centers for quite some time now, is Moonshine's primary trainer.

Moonshine, who is four and arrived in town last fall, isn't any ordinary horse.

First of all, she's a mustang, which isn't that common in Connecticut.

She hails from Nevada and is one of those round-up horses that the government collects and sells at auction. A brand on her neck shows that. A UConn student bought her in 2007 and started the training process and now she's got a happy home in Bristol.

She's living off the largess of the community -- in a barn built with materials donated by the Roberts Foundation, built by Team ESPN. She wears tack provided by a fund at the Main Street Community Foundation.

In return, she's a good natured, smart horse who will no doubt offer a lot of children a rare chance to get to know her and learn about horses.

By the way, she's barefoot, since mustangs have strong legs and hooves and have no need of horseshoes.

I wrote about Moonshine and her escapades for Friday's edition of The Bristol Press, so hopefully you can see the story at www.bristolpress.com.

All For Women and Girls

Melanie Dumont was kind enough to forward this photo to me. It's from the Wonder of Women event last night for the Main Street Community Foundation's Women and Girls' Fund benefit dinner. From left to right are Margi Fletcher, Sanita Gingris, Sharon Stotz, CPTV host Diane Smith and Jeanne Radcliff. Other than Diane Smith, these women are current or past members of the Women and Girls’ Fund Advisory Board.

Positively Packed

The Main Street Community Foundation held its ninth annual Wonder of Women event last night and wow, it was packed. Organizers said they had about 400 tickets sold and I wonder if there may have even been more.

Diane Smith, the television host of "All Things Connecticut," was the featured speaker. She gave a speech that was part motivational, part inspirational and sometimes, pretty funny.

I'm not someone who watches TV much at all, so I wasn't familiar with Diane, but I can see why people enjoy her so much.

She definitely was a hit with the crowd last night, and it was all for a good cause. Proceeds went to the Women and Girls' Fund.

Hats off to the hardworking organizers and volunteers who made it all happen!