A Family Affair
Family takes center stage during the holidays, and we would like to bestow accolades to a dedicated volunteer who has become an integral member of the Red Bucket family.
The energy she transmitted through the phone was nearly electric as I spoke to Kata Conlon. She is one of those people who can exhaust you yet motivate you with just a short conversation; she accomplishes more in one day than most people do all year! Lucky for us she devotes much of her spare time to Red Bucket.
Kata joined Red Bucket as a new volunteer in Huntington Beach about three years ago, jumping in with both feet as she does with every new venture. “My first event was serving lunch and selling apparel at one of the Huntington Beach horse shows in June of 2011,” Kata shares. “I think I spent my first dollar that day on Red Bucket apparel, but definitely not my last! I then started helping at ‘Have Lunch with Your Horse’ day where we prepared lunches and sold apparel at the stables on a monthly basis. It was then that Susan asked me to coordinate the Annual Holiday Fundraiser.”
From fundraising to hands-on work with the horses, Kata eagerly tackled any task that was tossed her way. She fondly recalls grooming on weekends and feeding on Friday mornings, rain or shine, navigating the golf cart through the barns to the excited whinnies of hungry horses. Unfortunately this all changed when Red Bucket relocated to Chino Hills. Kata recalls, “I was happy when Red Bucket found their new home in Chino Hills, but I also cried with a bit of selfish sadness. I had come to love my Friday mornings with the horses and getting to know all the Red Bucket horses and volunteers. While Chino Hills is only 45 minutes away, (Kata lives in Huntington Beach) I can’t get out to the Ranch as often as I like. But when I do, I always feel welcome and at peace with our horses.”
With less time spent at the Ranch, Kata immersed herself in administrative and fundraising projects. Susan Knox gratefully explains how invaluable Kata has become: “Kata was very instrumental in helping with the Ruby Red Event. She was a ‘rock star’ with the opportunity drawing, and she managed and took ownership of the entire process. In addition, she jumped right in to help me with doing inventory for all the silent auction items, from writing descriptions, labeling and numbering them, to physically loading and unloading the truck of all the items to and from the event for packaging. This was all done late evenings or early mornings or on the weekends as she worked around her regular job. She also handled the mass mailing of all the ‘Save the Date’ cards and 1700+ invites. She was a huge help to me and the entire Red Bucket team in making our first gala such an enormous success. I have already recruited her to help co-chair the event next year!”
Susan Peirce couldn’t agree more with Susan Knox. “Kata does whatever it takes and gives 100 percent all the time,” Susan Peirce explains. “She has a great skill set, is very organized and responsible, and is phenomenal with her attention to detail and proofreading. No job is too big or too small; she handles it all with grace and professionalism and continues to take on more projects and responsibility. We truly appreciate all Kata does for our horses!”
Kata loves all of the Red Bucket horses equally, but admits to a special fondness for Tatum. She even has Tatum as her Facebook photo! “Tatum is such a graceful and beautiful lady,” Kata explains. “She reminds me of my first horse, a 17 hand thoroughbred gelding who was my first school-girl crush. While I know I am not in a position to own a horse now, just walking through the breezeway at the Ranch brings me back to a simpler time. Just saying hello to each of our treasured guests with a soft rub on the nuzzle warms my heart. Knowing each is now in a better place, is being cared for, and has a second chance at a loving home is reason enough to keep volunteering at the Ranch.”
Not only has Kata served our group and our horses with honor, she has made Red Bucket a part of her own family. According to Kata, “I feel very much a part of the Red Bucket family and enjoy being around such a compassionate and committed group of volunteers who put egos aside to do whatever needs to be done to help the horses. I recently adopted Dexter’s Red Rufus, aka ‘the most adorable puppy in the world’, during our Ruby Red Fundraiser. I have indeed made Red Bucket a part of my family!”
We miss seeing Kata as often at the Ranch, yet we appreciate all of the work she does behind the scenes. It is because of dedicated and dynamic volunteers like Kata that Red Bucket continues to thrive and grow, and we continue to make an impact in the equine rescue world. Thank you Kata! Keep up the great work.