Are you aware of The Battle of Spanktown? One of our park's many pieces of history... fought on St. Georges Avenue on the North Branch of Rahway River in 1777, rebels got the best of British troops killing almost one hundred men. They were victorious. And to us, our campaign is feeling a bit like Spanktown TWO! It's been quite a whirlwind since starting our online campaign back in March, with numbers steadily growing every day. In just the past two weeks about 300 more supporters joined our cause!! We couldn't be happier. But we are now at a crossroads and need to make some important decisions before we can claim a victory. And time is ticking… In case you are not aware, an article posted on nj.com last October stated that work on the proposed stadium was "expected to start next spring". And yes, it is now next Spring. The question is, are they on schedule? We honestly don't know but I'm sure you'll agree, to be on the safe side let's arm ourselves for the worst case scenario. A few days ago we decided to get our fundraising campaign up and running. Its purpose is two fold. Mostly we need to fund our legal expenses and get our Lawyer cracking on our behalf ASAP. And since we are represented by the largest law firm in the State of NJ, we are confident in their ability to win this for us. But no matter what, we still need to continue our outreach. Numbers matter. And there are still thousands of locals completely unaware of what's about to happen in their backyard. We need to cover costs to print hundreds of flyers, bumper stickers, make yard signs, send out mailings, etc. and get out there on foot so that we can continue to spread the word. Today we turn to you for help with all of this. Any amount you can donate, no matter the size, will be invaluable to our efforts. Sadly our pockets aren't deep enough. However we are 100% committed to doing whatever it takes to save Rahway River Park and with your help we have faith that this will be possible. So please, if you have a moment, head on over to our 'Battle Fund': www.gofundme.com/saverahwaypark And just know that every dollar you donate will be ever so appreciated. For your viewing pleasure (or shock and awe!) we have also posted lots of photos to truly show you the size and impact of a 1200 seat stadium. THE ROAD AHEAD... As our team of volunteers has grown we have decided to create a private Facebook Group where we can all meet, chat, stay on the same page, and keep our campaign organized as we move forward. Everyone is welcome to join, so if you'd like to be part of our team and a voice in our campaign we’d love to have you on board: www.facebook.com/groups/saverahwaypark Things are also shifting in our social media campaign which has been a key element in our successful outreach. We have been thrilled with the response to our Facebook Page and treasure every single one of our supporters, but as the online tasks keep growing and growing (from our petition, to our funding campaign) we find ourselves in need of extra help. Ideally we would love to add at least 2-3 social media savvy people to our team... people who have perhaps run a successful business page, know how to write posts, comments and updates in an upbeat, friendly tone, and who simply love the online world! If this is you, or you know someone who fits the bill, please email us at: rahwaypark@gmail.com And lastly, just to make you aware, we have decided to attend every single 'regular' Freeholder meeting till we get what we want! We will keep voicing our concerns because as we've said many times, our campaign is about patience and persistence. Of course your presence at these meetings along side us would mean the world, so if you'd like to mark a date on your calendar here is the 2015 schedule: http://ucnj.org/departments/clerk-of-the-board/schedule-of-meetings/ We will be attending tonight's meeting and though short notice would love to see you there! You can accept our invitation here: www.facebook.com/events/755736904524917/ That's it for today. As always, thank you SO much for your continued support!! Sincerely, The Team… at 'The Coalition to Save Historic Rahway River Park'