Thank You on Behalf of the Hiller Fund & Some Lucky Bloomington Cats

We were simply overwhelmed by your generosity of so many donations in Nancy Hiller’s name to support The Ranch Cat Rescue – a rescue in Nancy’s adopted hometown of Bloomington, Ind. (and that Nancy continues to support in perpetuity with 10 percent of net sales of her book “Shop Tails”). It’s enough to make me well up (which usually happens only when someone accidentally hits me with a hammer). To everyone who donated: You’re so very kind; thank you. Today, I’m mailing a cashier’s check – for $8,770.85!!! – to the rescue’s director/resident human Alison Zook. The raffle winner of Carol Russell‘s fiddleback Tasmanian blackwood cat (I’ll miss this gorgeous little carving!) is Melinda in California; the winner of the book we used as “cover art” for the audio version of “Shop Tails” is Jay in Virginia (both have been notified via email).

Alison asked me to share the paragraph below –

Y’all. To say I don’t have words for this generosity is an understatement. These last few weeks I’ve been thinking I want to do something permanent with these funds, something that really honors Nancy. So I had an idea. While some of your donations will go toward medical care, food and supplies, I’m putting a portion aside and starting the Hiller Fund (working title). This will specifically be used for building projects and improvements made at The Ranch Cat Rescue, with a focus on empowering women and girls to pick up tools and get some sawdust in their hair. While these projects won’t hold a candle to Nancy’s woodworking skills, I know that she would have loved to be a part of them. This way she always can be. Thank you, new friends, for being the beginning of this.

As soon as Alison schedules that first building project, I’m clearing my schedule. I’ll be there.

– Fitz

p.s. You can donate directly to The Ranch Cat Rescue here.