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Welcome! On January 30, 2024 the Virginia Horse Council Foundation hosted the first Virginia Equine Rescue Forum in Charlottesville, VA. There was an incredible turn out, with 51 individuals across 29 organizations attending. Both seasoned and newer rescue organizations were there, joined by members of the Virginia Horse Council board members and other welfare-minded equine professionals. Christine Hajek, Executive Director and Founder of Gentle Giants Draft Horse rescue, led a thought-provoking and enlightening presentation on marketing, branding and fundraising strategies. For current VPH Partners, Christine has provided examples of donor acknowledgements that can be found in the private Partner Forum on the VPH website. For every philanthropic citizen, Christine plugged a TED talk by Dan Pallotta called, "The Way We Think About Charity is Dead Wrong" A lot of time was spent discussing specific challenges that come up in rescue and the strategies and techniques each organization employs to resolve them. Two of Virginia's leading Executive Directors, Jo Anne Miller of Brook Hill Farm and Erica Stevens of the Equine Welfare Society, wrapped up the day with presentations on tips and tricks they've gathered through their years of work in rescue.