2011 Will be Big for OURF

As I sit composing this blog, thoughts of the coming year come to mind. There is something in my gut that feels like 2011 will be a big year for the Orang Utan Republik Foundation. Why do I feel that? I am not sure, but I am already looking forward to another visit to Indonesia in the early part of the year.

OURF programs will pick up speed in 2011. Our Indonesian partners will be implementing a USFW grant for most of 2011. The funds have arrived and we are in the process of acquiring our first vehicle.

Does the Red Ape still need to raise funds? Absolutely. There are funding needs that were not anticipated when we wrote the proposal so we need to continue to seek supporters who can help bridge the funding gaps.

Stay tuned for some big announcements.

A Year Later - A More Successful Fundraiser

Where has the time gone. My last blog was more than a year ago. Now as my right knee is throbbing from too much yoga yesterday, I am pondering the success we had on July 17th when we held our annual fundraiser. It was a great event, in my humble opinion, and we raised over $17,000. That is the bottom line. But above the line, I have to acknowledge all the people who made the event a success: Susan Callery as our Fundraising Chair... yes, Susan came back after last year to take on the challenge; Debi Derryberry & husband, Harvey Jordan, who not only provided us with an amazing venue, but gave so much of their time, energy and financial resources to put the event on; John Page for his technical expertise and ability to get the job done; and so many other people-old friends and new friends- who came together to put on a great show.

Thanks also to our celebrity friends of the foundation: Ed Begley Jr. and Fritz Coleman. Ed, a member of our board and an internationally respected environmental activist, gave up his evening to be with us. Fritz, a local NBC weatherman and stand up comic/performer, served as our Emcee and did a great job helping with our Live Auction. What was auctioned? Books signed by Ed, Fritz, the authors and myself- and they went for a very good price.

The authors, Shawn Thompson ("The Intimate Ape") and Jean Chaffee ("Azak Learns to Read") came to the event and like other VIP attendees, had a chance to spend quality time with our celebrities (see them all chatting above)

We also had some amazing entertainment: Tango dancing, gamelan music, Balinese dancing, and a wonderful children's song, "Oodle the Orangutan" performed by our host, Debi Derryberry herself.

The food was great - vegetarian and vegan - and the atmospherics were also charming, thanks to the tiki torches, and inflatable stars and other decorations Harvey was able to have donated.

All in all, I am very happy the event went as well as it did. We raised a lot of money and had a great time. Considering I arrived from Indonesia less than 24 hrs earlier, the event could not have happened without our remarkable Fundraising Committee. That Indonesian trip, perhaps a topic for another blog, was also fantastic. One more bottom line...a number of people involved are already talking about next year. Hopefully, I will be more forthcoming with more blogs before next year's event.