George Clift spearheaded a campaign to challenge all Texas Association of Realtors® members and REALTOR® Land Institute members to donate to the Wildfire Relief Fund. We sent out the following letter to all TAR Members. A similar letter went out to RLI members, also offering the Ashland Community Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund as a suggestion for donations.
The numbers are mind boggling….
-hundreds of thousands of acres of grassland burned
-thousands of square miles of devastation
-homes and barns destroyed
-wildlife gone
-tens of thousands of head of cattle burned to death
-ranchers’ lives lost trying to save their livestock
-so many lives changed forever
We are tough, here in the Texas Panhandle, but the week of March 6th was devastating to so many of our friends, neighbors, and clients. Some ranchers have lost everything.
As we have watched this unfold, we have felt a strong need to “do something”. So many from across our Region, the State of Texas, and our Nation have come forward to ask, “What can we do to help?”. Most are stepping up to the plate by sending supplies to those who are fighting the fires, hay to feed the cattle that are left, equipment, labor, and monetary donations.
We have reached out to those we knew were affected by this week’s wildfires, and asked what they needed the most. Their answer was help replacing the miles and miles of burned fences. That’s a priority, after making sure their families are safe and their surviving stock are fed. Our job was to find the best way to direct our help to those who need it the most.
The needs will be ongoing for quite some time. With cost running somewhere around $10,000.00 per mile to rebuild these fences, we believe this is exactly where those of us in the land business need to step up to the plate and help.
I am reaching out to all our TAR colleagues, asking you to help us do this for these ranchers. I would like to challenge you to make a donation to the following Foundation. WRCF is a 501(c)3 organization, so your donation will be tax deductible. I believe the WRCF will be the most efficient means in getting donated funds to where they are needed, as quickly as possible.
Working Ranch Cowboys Foundation
% Kaycee Hooper, Foundation Manager
408 SW 7th Avenue – Amarillo, TX 79101
(Reference “Wildfire Relief Fund” in the memo line of your check)
To make an online donation, go to http://wrca.org/foundation/ and click on “Make a Donation”. In the comment section write “Wildfire Relief Fund”. The foundation will make sure your donation goes directly to ranchers who have been effected by these wildfires.
It’s times like these that we all have to stick together and help one another. I appreciate any assistance you might offer. Thank you for your kind support.
Respectfully,
George Clift, ALC
Clift Land Brokers
3430 I-40 West – Amarillo, TX 79102
(806) 355-9856 – (806) 674-8979
Ashland Community Foundation – P.O. Box 276, Ashland, Kansas 67831
Go to www.ashlandcf.com. Scroll down to the bottom and click the Donate button. If paying by check, write “Wildfire Relief Fund” in the Memo Line. If donating online, click on “+ Add Special Instructions” and designate Wildfire Relief Fund.