The town I live near had a program where someone could buy a park bench for $500.00 and have a small brass plaque with three or four lines inscribed on it.
Right after Caylee was found, everyone wanted to have some kind of monument in her memory. Remembering the memorial bench program, I brought it to the attention to the room. Everyone decided that, rather than have me fund the bench on my own, that they wanted to participate.
I first went to the city and talked to the manager of the department that ran the program and discussed the project. He was confident that we could get the bench and even took me down to the park and discussed several areas as to where to place it.
All seemed fine until after the bench was paid for and the time was fast approaching for it to be placed.
There had been a meeting of the committee who oversees the approval of the benches after some people made a number of phone calls to the city protesting the placing of the bench and my sponsership of it.
The committee decided that, in light of this and the fact that there was a lot of negative publicity about the case in general, they were going to deny the placement of the bench with Caylee's name in any variation.
Needless to say the offical I met with was stunned. I was then told that it would take a week or so to get refunded and that the funds would come into a single check to me rather than in the individual payments made by each member who contributed.
After telling the contributers what had transpired, all but one agreed that the funds should go for the search for Haleigh Cummings. After calling the Putnam county Sheriff's office, it was determined that the funds should go to TES as this was the family's wish at that time.
I then went to the vigil tent in Satsuma and personaly made the donation on behalf of the group to a representative of TES.
I was then sent an e-mail followed up by two letters from TES:
I am the one who personally received a donation check made out to
Texas EquuSearch from Murt on Saturday, Feb. 14th while TES was in
Satsuma, FL searching for Haleigh Cummings. The check was for $500.
Murt made it very clear that the donation was from his group and not
just from himself. Murt has received a letter of thanks from TES on
letterhead regarding the donation. I am sure he would be happy to
share that letter which even includes the check number with any that
request he do so. I believe he could even offer his cancelled check as proof,if need be. I have received his permission to release any/all
information regarding the donation.
Tim Miller has asked me to convey that TES has been putting in 20 hour
days on searches for the past several days and continues to receive
calls for help from around the country. Taking time to resolve issues
such as the one above takes time away from helping families in need.
TES is grateful for all types of support and we ask that all pray for
those missing and their families.
Sincerely,
CT
Texas EquuSearch
_________________________________________________________________
Rather than accept this explenation, the blog members went on not only to accuse me of forging the letter but incurred their wrath on the representative of TES questioning her judgment.
This is by far, a clear demonstration of the TRUE direction of that blog. They are less about the plight of lost children and the violence against them as they are in cyber bullying and cyber terrorism when it comes to those that they either disagree with or dislike.
The incident has left and indealable mark with TES and the staff there who know realize the kind of problems I had while assisting them in Orlando. I received several apologies by senior staff members of TES over the misunderstandings that ocured when they were in Orlando.
They made it clear that I would be welcome with open arms to any TES search in the future.
