WALL – A local community farm is honoring one of its ongoing donors by opening an equestrian center in his name.
Dr. Robert H. Harris passed away on April 30, 2017. He and his wife, Mary Ellen, originally founded the Golden Dome Foundation with a goal to help charities and non-profit groups with special causes close to the doctor’s heart.
One ongoing recipient, the Allaire Community Farm in Wall, received more than $2 million in donations. The foundation wants to help the farm accomplish its goal of becoming financially self-sustaining, created to help people with special needs, veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders, teens dealing with mental health issues and families coping with cancer.
The 25-acre farm is home to rescued horses, goats, pigs, donkeys and other animals. To honor its appreciation of the Golden Dome Foundation, the farm is now preparing to cut the ribbon on the “Dr. Robert H. Harris Equestrian Center.”
“I am so glad that my long-time friend, Judith Lolli, first introduced me to the farm. Our entire foundation board loves this farm,” Mary Ellen Harris said.
“Every time we stop by, there is always something new to see and experience,” she added. “JoAnn and Sean are very special people and I am so proud to see how our donations have positively impacted thousands of individuals each and every year.”
“Mary Ellen Harris visited one day, eight years ago, when we shared our idea to create our one-of-a-kind farm,” explained JoAnn Burney, co-founder with her husband, Sean, in 2013. “Mary Ellen told us she loved our vision but didn’t believe it was possible to come to fruition. Five years later she saw that the dream was becoming a reality and immediately began to financially support the farm and its mission.”
Harris steadily donated to support the farm’s equestrian operations and provided other support, such as paying off the farm’s mortgage in 2022.
“Golden Dome’s ongoing charitable work at Allaire Farm is an amazing tribute to Dr. Harris; it is the type of charity he would strongly embrace,” Lolli said. “Dr. Bob loved horses and had previously run Golden Dome Stables. The farm incorporates everything near and dear to Mary Ellen and her husband, helping people and animals truly in need.”
“Without having to worry about how to pay the mortgage, we were able to focus solely on our mission and provide more services to the populations who rely on the work we do,” Burney said. “Mary Ellen’s generosity has taken the farm to another level by allowing us to bring on more staff, increase our programs and build the structures we need to serve our community. Her support has directly impacted the lives of thousands of people and animals.”
In 2019, the barn constructed the 20-stall “Dr. Robert H. Harris Horse Barn” and the following year an annex to store grain, hay, and tack, as well as to wash the horses. In 2022, Harris funded a 11,000-square-foot indoor riding rink, followed by an outdoor riding arena that opened earlier this year.
The Burneys are celebrating the opening of the “Dr. Robert H. Harris Equestrian Center,” incorporating all of the Golden Dome Foundation’s donations into one package of deep appreciation.
The farm offers year-round therapeutic and educational programs, including: the HOPE program for young adults with special needs seeking employment training, to veterans with PTSD who participate in therapeutic riding and driving, to kids working through mental health issues who are given a stipend to work with the animals at the farm.
“When people come to the farm for the first time, you can see they understand what makes this place so special,” Sean Burney said. “Whether you are a child with special needs, a person dealing with mental health issues or just someone who wants to connect with nature, everyone is welcome here. We are proud that the farm is a place where all people feel included and accepted.”
With a commitment to be accessible to all, the Burneys have also created a “Path of Independence,” ensuring buildings and gardens on the property are accessible to people with mobility challenges.
“Everyone should be able to enjoy this farm,” Burney said. “So, we have considered obstacles and are working on ways to make this farm accessible to as many people as possible.”
To learn more about the farm, visit allairecommunityfarm.org.
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