Dear Friend of Horse Park:

This is no ordinary solicitation letter!

True, we are asking for your help in the form of a tax-deductible cash donation. True, we've asked in the past. So what's the difference this time? The answer is that there may not be a next time for The Horse Park at Woodside- unless you help save it.

The Horse Park needs your help now like never before. Without the help of people like you- pulling together to save this treasured land for equestrian use- the Horse Park will be forced to shut down for good.

After years of operating with inadequate permits and minimal long-term planning, the not-for-profit Horse Park on Sand Hill Road has reached a strategic moment in its 22 year history. In January, the Horse Park submitted its application to San Mateo County for the permits needed to continue operating. Now under new management, Horse Park staff are working with County officials, engineers, landscapers, and other experts to develop a master plan for the Horse Park and secure the necessary operating permits from the County.

However, with crisis comes opportunity. For the first time in the facility's history, we have an opportunity to create a comprehensive plan that will:

Preserve the equestrian lifestyle integral to the Woodside/Portola Valley area

But the Horse Park can't realize this vision without help- without your help. The Horse Park's survival depends on financial support from the community... from equestrians to nature lovers, from dog owners to residents who enjoy looking out from their car and seeing children and adults riding their horses across the grassy fields of the park.

I am writing today to ask you to help save the Horse Park. Your tax-deductible donation will make it possible for the Horse Park to fulfill its mission of providing educational, recreational and competitive opportunities for riders, while preserving some of the Peninsula's rapidly disappearing open space. The Horse Park is located on Stanford land that is also zoned for residential use- it is heartbreaking to imagine housing instead of horses on those 270 acres!

Originally established in 1981 for the purpose of promoting the sport of Eventing, today the not-for-profit Horse Park serves a variety of riders. Whether they school over the cross-country course, attend a horse show, play polo, enjoy the trails or participate in Pony Club, they all share use in a unique and valuable asset to the community.

There is no other facility like the Horse Park in Northern California that both benefits equestrians and serves as a haven of tranquility, a celebration of nature for residents and riders alike. The Horse Park's exceptional layout includes seven arenas, six cross-country courses, 150 acres of open pasture and extensive trails joining the region-wide Woodside Trail Club network.

Our immediate need is to raise $250,000 during the next 12 months for the Horse Park Preservation Fund. This fund will help underwrite the costly county permitting requirements facing the Horse Park, as well as basic operating expenses. The Board of Governors of the Horse Park has made a $50,000 "challenge grant" which means that every dollar of the first $50,000 donated will automatically be doubled.

I want to emphasize that the Horse Park will continue to meet the needs of its members and the community. The facility is being maintained and day use of the rings is unchanged. Clinics, educational and Pony Club activities, polo and member events remain on schedule.

I urge you to stop by and visit the Horse Park if you have not been there recently. Spring is a beautiful time at the Park, with acres of green pasture and trails brightened by colorful wildflowers. Please see for yourself why this facility is so important to protect and preserve...not only for today's riders and residents, but for future generations as well.

Please respond to this emergency plea by making a gift to the Horse Park Preservation Fund. The need is urgent. The time is now.

Sincerely,
Penny Howe Gallo
President, Board of Governors

PS- For more information on the Horse Park and for updates on schedule and activities, please check out the website at www.horsepark.org