NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ (March 15, 2007) Individuals and organizations are rallying behind the endowment campaign of the Equine Science Center, aiming to raise $3 million to support Center programs..

     Calling themselves the “Community of 50 for Equine Excellence,” donors are pledging gifts at the President’s Council level for the next five years. President’s Council members traditionally have made gifts of $10,000 or more through the Rutgers University Foundation. Gifts can be in cash; in items of value, such as stock and securities, personal property, real estate, equipment and “in-kind” donations; bequests; annuities and insurance; planned gifts; and other assets.

     The endowment campaign is spearheaded by Rutgers alumnus Dr. David Meirs II of Cream Ridge, NJ. Dr. Meirs, a prominent veterinarian and breeder, also is chair emeritus of the Rutgers University Board for Equine Advancement, a group that advises the Equine Science Center and equine program of the Department of Animal Sciences at Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.

     “The Community of 50 for Equine Excellence is a dedicated group of people and organizations that understand the importance of supporting serious scientific research and also want to have a voice in policy-making as it affects horse farms and the horse industry in New Jersey and in this region,” says Dr. Meirs.

     “We expect the 50 people and groups who step up to this challenge to be leaders in the community. Many of them are motivated by the desire to help ensure preservation of open space. Others have ties to the horse industry or amateur equine sport; and others will join this community simply because they believe – as Winston Churchill and, later, Ronald Reagan reminded us – ‘the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man.’”

     Those interested in joining the Community of 50 for Equine Excellence may contact Diana Orban Brown at 732-932-9419 or via email at orban@aesop.rutgers.edu.