ATFL News
June 2008
Dear Friends,
After the Finish Line has
over 78,000 hits on our website, www.afterthefinishline.org,
since launching in October '07. I find this very telling. Our
May newsletter
brought 8,400 hits to our website in a 4 day time span. Our message is reaching
far and wide. You understand the need to donate
to After the Finish Line to help us save Thoroughbreds from slaughter. Please
continue to forward our newsletters to your email lists.
This month our Emergency
Funds were given to GEVA, Inc. in Northern CA. Pam Berg, who cares for 31
ex-racers, was walking one of her horses when he suddenly had a heart attack or
seizure. The horse collapsed on Pam breaking her leg. He passed away almost
immediately. After the Finish Line will assist Pam with the daily expenses of
operating her rescue and caring for her horses while her broken leg heals.
Bill Heller has been added
to our
links
page. After the Finish Line was named after one of Bill's many books,
After the
Finish Line, The Race to End Horse Slaughter in America. Bill also
wrote the article about us in the May/June issue of
Thoroughbred
Style magazine.
After the Finish Line
continues to receive great press. The
Daily Racing
Form continues to run ads for us. On Memorial Day our ads ran in
the Belmont, Hollywood Park, Golden Gate, Arlington Park and Churchill Downs
sections of the paper. This gives After the Finish Line great exposure
throughout the United States.
After the Finish
Line appeared in the
New York Times
blog called The Rail. We are listed on the Eight Belles Tribute website as a
suggested Thoroughbred organization to support in memory of Eight Belles. Thank
you to those who honored her with donations to After the Finish Line.
Recently I did a
web interview on Outlaw Crime, www.outlawcrime.com. Steven Long
from Texas Horse Talk Magazine was interviewed about horse slaughter a few weeks
prior to my interview. I will post my interview in next months newsletter.
Two videos were created for
After the Finish Line thanks to PS, Inc. They are posted on You Tube at,
http://www.youtube.com/user/FirstToe. The music certainly sets the tone for
the videos.
After the Finish Line is
finalizing plans for an August fundraiser. If you would like to donate items for
a silent or live auction please contact me at
dawn@afterthefinishline.org. We
are a national 501 (c)(3) funding non-profit helping Thoroughbreds at rescue
organizations throughout the United States. We will gladly accept donated items
from outside the state of California for our fundraiser. You can also make a
monetary donation if you are unable to attend.
One of our grant
recipients,
Friends of
Ferdinand, sent us a thank you letter explaining how After the
Finish Line helped three of their horses. As Himself received surgery to remove
a crippling bone chip in his knee. Storm Cellar had a serious colic
episode requiring the vet to be called in the middle of the night. Mancini
Martini was able to be accepted into the rescue. His teeth were floated and
farrier gave him new shoes. These are just some examples of how your
donations
to After the Finish Line are truly healing the Thoroughbreds and helping them
transition into a non-racing career. We appreciate your support and you should
be proud of the impact you are making in the lives of these Thoroughbreds. We
couldn't help the horses without your donations.
Sincerely,
Dawn Mellen, President
After the Finish Line