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Fursman
Kennels, Ltd. - Now in our
40th Year in Middleburg Reservations: call 540-687-6990 (click for map)
<<---The Entrance to Fursman Kennels Winds Through Beautiful Landscaping |
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Dedication to Treasure (continued) LOST TREASURES
By Audrey Windsor Bergner Visions of Incan gold, long-hidden caskets of jewels, or the booty of Pirates stashed away in deep caves linger in our collective memory. The stuff of childhood is full of lost treasures: a mysterious map with an X in the center, or a cryptic message in a bottle found along the shore. But, of course, there are many kinds of treasure. King Midas had his as did the Caesars, the railroad and steel tycoons of the Industrial Revolution, and the dot.com entrepreneurs of the 1990’s. Some call knowledge or wisdom a treasure while others put their children in that category – sometimes! Middleburg was lucky to have two special Treasures…both of whom had huge hearts and four fee. They were dogs. But not just any dogs. They were Pam Dickson’s treasured German Shepherds who performed incredible feats which delighted the hearts of children of any age…..but especially perhaps the youngsters in the cancer clinic of Washington Children’s Hospital whose faces lit up when they padded through the door. Then there were all the special “Day in the Country” parties at Fursman Kennels for poor or needy or ill kids from all around the Piedmont. Clowns and games, hayrides and balloons, even a delicious luncheon, which always led to the highlight of the day: a performance by Treasure that had these kids laughing and cheering and forgetting – at least for a day – the sadness which surrounded their young lives. Pam Dickson, that delightful English lady who has been part of the Middleburg scene for some thirty years now, trained both of her gentle and multi-talented “Treasures” in unique performances which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for cancer research! Her “Treasures” also developed a coterie of admirers from Queen Elizabeth of England, U.N.Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Presidente Vincente Fox of Mexico to Virginia Governor John Warner. And her Treasures have been on TV many times. But her biggest supporters were people like us….from Washington and Leesburg, Aldie and Upperville, Winchester and Warrenton. Local folk whose pets were cared for by Pam Dickson so they knew how much heart and effort went into training these beautiful animals and how hard she (and they) worked to raise funds for cancer research. But research wasn’t the only recipient of their largesse. A terminally ill little girl from Howard University Hospital went to Disney World one year with her whole family, through the generosity of the Make a Wish Foundation and Pam Dickson. They sent her a Minnie Mouse card that says: “We will always remember this day. And tell Treasure we love him and you”. Some friends even sent adorable little stuffed animals, toys and games to Treasure – (ok, so he was talented but could a dog really play chess?) which Pam kindly donated to Middleburg’s Seven Loaves Food Bank and local schools. Their last contribution, a very healthy $41,250, sits in the coffers of the Fauquier Hospital Foundation right now awaiting, according to Dr. Christy M. Connolly, additional funds to purchase a state of the art CAD system to detect early breast cancer which will help at least 25 women per day! Those gentle loving dogs who entertained so many of us, brought joy to so many others, and raised incredible amounts of money to help cancer research, died this summer. Treasure One was ten – and Treasure Two was only six. Pam Dickson can barely speak their names without bursting into tears…..and yet…..she leads me out across the green parkland of Fursman Kennels where another dear little German Shepherd jumps up for joy and licks my hand as he cavorts around in a summer sun. Is he the next “Treasure”? In spirit YES! But this two year old Sheperd's name is Rocky and Pam will be training him in the spring of 2005. Will he too raise thousands of dollars to save lives? We’ll have to wait and see. But if you’d like to honor our “Lost Treasures” and support Cancer Research, a check to “Treasure’s Cancer Fund” at P. O. Box 625, Middleburg, Virginia 20118 may help save your life – or that of someone you love. |
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