Farmington Valley Swan Fund You Can Help!!!

The Farmington Valley Swan Fund has been organized to help Ulysses, Penelope, their cygnets, and other swans in the area. Here is how you can help through the Farmington Valley Swan Fund:

• Let your friends who care about animals know about this situation. Direct them to this web page so they can learn about the abuse and help out.

• Copy the text below, print it out, fill in your name and address, sign it, and send it to me or simply forward it in e-mail back to Swans@FarmingtonSwans.org with your name, town, state, and e-mail if you wish for it to be listed. Offer suggestions for the names for the three cygnet triplets!

• Donations are not necessary, but I have now set up a bank account and a non-profit organization to administer the fund.  If you would like to send a small donation to help out, it would be greatly appreciated to help with the protection of these swans and the educating of people that live around them.  Please make checks out to "Farmington Valley Swan Fund". Include your e-mail address, so that confirmation of receipt of the donation can be sent back to you with the tax information for tax deductions.

• Keep an eye on the swan page for events as they unfold.

• If you live in the Farmington, CT area and would like to help directly by offering your time, please contact me at Swans@FarmingtonSwans.org.

All donations and support are appreciated and will be recognized as follows:

• Returning the form:  Your name will be included on a list of supporters that will be submitted to the Lakeview Apartment Management.  If desired, your name will be listed as a supporter on the new swan website.
• Returning the form with a contribution:  Your name will be included on a list of contributors that will be submitted to the Lakeview Apartment Management.  If desired, your name will be listed as a contributor on the new swan website.  Larger contributions will be recognized as follows:
  • $1 - We appreciate any contribution, no matter how small, but it is not cost effective to send anything back to you for this amount.  If you are going to send the letter by mail and pay $0.35 for a stamp, what is another dollar?
  • $25 - A single picture from the set of the swan photos will be sent to you in appreciation.
  • $50 - The set of four photos of the swans will be sent to you to remind you of who you have helped save.
  • $100 - An 8"x10" of your choice from the set of four will be mailed to you.
  • $250 - The entire set of 4 in 8"x10" prints will be sent to you.

Donations will be tax deductible.  I have set up the non-profit organization on May 24, 2002. The federal tax id is pending submission on May 28, 2002.

Please indicate if you would like the pictures sent. I will be posting the four pictures on the new website and will notify people by e-mail that have made contributions. Please indicate if you do NOT want your name appearing in the published lists.

How the money will be spent:

• A donation will be made towards the costs of the fencing that will protect the swans' nest area.
• Any other assistance to alleviate the expenses associated with the swans from the apartment complex will be considered. The apartment complex is a business and we do not want them to resent the expenses associated with helping the swans.
• The rehabilitation for the cob's injured wing will be supported.
• Materials that help educate the people in the complex will be created, printed, and distributed.
• Expenses for establishing and managing this website will be covered.
• Those objectives achieved, the fund will look outwards from Ulysses and Penelope to help other swans in trouble in the Farmington River Valley where swans coexist with people in a densely populated area.
• Donations will be made from the fund to other organizations that help injured swans around Connecticut and help to protect swans.

The spending of money will be fully disclosed on the new website for the swans.

You can copy the text below and paste it into an e-mail or editor for printing. Here is the text for the letter to the apartment complex:

Dear Lakeview Apartments of Farmington Owners, Management, and Residents,

I am very concerned to hear of the abusive behavior that has been documented towards the swans that reside in the lake adjoining your apartment complex.  Though you may not realize it, Ulysses and Penelope, the two swans that are raising a family in your lake, are world famous.  I would greatly appreciate it if you would do whatever you could to protect these swans and the other wildlife that lives on and around your property.  It is an outrage that the cob, Ulysses, has been injured and antagonized by people on several occasions and that he no longer flies from his injuries.  I applaud you for any measures you may take to protect these swans such as putting up protective fencing around their nesting site and for helping your residents and guests to become educated so they can coexist with the swans without further danger to the swans or people.

Thank you for your consideration.  I will be observing the situation to learn the outcome.

Sincerely,

<Put your name, town, state, and e-mail address here>

Please send all signed petitions and contributions to:

The Farmington Valley Swan Fund will forward all petitions and e-mails to the apartment management.

If you are a representative of a non-profit animal protection or related organization, please contact the apartment management by mail and let them know that you too are observing the situation and appreciate their protection of the swans.

Thank You!!!

Thank you to all of you who have shown your support in words and actions. This is an exceptional pair of swans that is very uncommon because they have shown a willingness to communicate with people and coexist with them in their territory. They have suffered injustices and poor treatment that they do not deserve! Their only means of protection from human predators is the people that will go out of their way to help them. Ulysses and Penelope asked me to thank all of you who have shown your support.

Penelope with her first-hatched cygnet sleeping on her shoulder.

Penelope with the triplets in the nest.

Ulysses and Penelope take the oldest two cygnets out for their first swim.

Visit the photo galleries for to see all five series of the swan photos! And, more are coming soon once the new website for the Farmington Valley Swan Fund is set up!!! So check back in a few weeks!!!

You are visiting www.FarmingtonSwans.org.

Copyright 2001, 2002 Christopher Ruel. (www.ChrisRuel.com) All Rights Reserved.