Greetings, Friends!

These days the TTR team and I find ourselves spending a lot of time celebrating achievements, accomplishments and milestones. Yesterday, July 7th, we observed the 6th birthday of Tall Tales Ranch becoming a nonprofit organization and embarking on an unforgettable adventure to expand opportunities, realize and celebrate potential and create community for all of our friends who live with special needs. I often think of Tall Tales as our 4th child-you know, the youngest who can be demanding, who loves a good party, who is creative and resourceful and who is a beautiful amalgamation of the family who has brought him up.  This spirited little one has evolved into a force that has taught us invaluable lessons (as all children do) and it is with grace and reverence that we are watching it develop and grow every day. 

July 7th was not only remarkable because we are now 6, it is also an historic day for TTR because after three years of planning, modifying, and presenting, our Tall Tales Ranch Site Improvement Plan has been officially approved by both the Lone Tree Planning Commission and the City Council! This is an exciting milestone and we are grateful to our TTR building committee board members, Mark Gray and Wendy Wanger and to our entire talented, dedicated SIP team of Godden Sudik Architects Inc., Norris Design and Merrick and Company Engineers. You can read more about this process in Mark Gray's comments below.

We have many things to celebrate and to be grateful for, in spite of these strange times we are all living in. We don't take any of our accomplishments for granted, and we know without a doubt that we could not enjoy any of them without your help and support. Like any devoted family member, you have been there to change diapers, dry tears, cheerlead, and offer your hand as our baby learned to walk. Now, together we are watching it grow and we can all be proud of the amazing being that is Tall Tales Ranch. Thank you for walking with us on this often unpredictable, but always interesting path.

Be well,

Susan Mooney, Founder/Fairy Godmother
Tall Tales Ranch

SAVE THE DATE for our

9.26.20 virtual talent show!

Join us (from the comfort of your sofa, beverage of choice in hand, no suit or heels required!) for an unforgettable hour…a virtual fundraising celebration of our talented young people with special needs who are the heart and soul of our mission.

Registration for this FREE EVENT begins August 26th.

Show our community that you support inclusion and diversity by joining our growing list of sponsors for this event.  Learn more HERE

A Word From The Board

Mark Gray, Vice President

Note: This is a snapshot of where we have been, and what lies ahead, in the construction of the ranch, as detailed by our Board Member, Mark Gray.  Mark, along with Board Member Wendy Wanger and others, has been working with The City of Lone Tree’s Planning Division, which guides growth and development within the City of Lone Tree consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan.  Working with public and private sectors, the Planning Division ensures that the community develops in accordance with City plans, guidelines, and regulations. As we celebrate completion of the Site Improvement Plan piece of the puzzle, we asked Mark to describe the process to those unfamiliar with it. 

“There are three stages of development and approval in order to construct Tall Tales Ranch; (1) Design Review, (2) Site Development Plan, and (3) Construction Documents.

The Design Review evaluates the exterior aspects of a project relative to aesthetic and functional relationships with neighboring properties and the community as a whole.  In addition, Design Review evaluates site selection, grading plans, building floor plans and elevations, landscape, and lighting plans.  Design Review requires the approval from the Planning Division and City Council. We were granted this approval in 2019.

The Site Improvement Plan is reflective of the Design Review Plans but in greater detail.  Architectural details and treatments are more clearly defined; renderings, building material selections and exterior treatments like parking, crosswalks, pedestrian, and emergency access are examined.  Finally, easements and operating agreements are detailed.  Site Improvement Plans require the approval of the Planning Division and City Council. We were given SIP approval July 7th, 2020, allowing us to move forward to the third step in the process.

Construction Documents further leverages the previous two development stages; however, this stage focuses on the interior of the building(s).  Building entry and exits, corridors, community areas, guest rooms as well as stairways are further defined.  Construction details including foundations, walls, roofs, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are fully designed.  Construction Documents require the approval of the Building Department.  A site grading permit will also be required to begin construction.”

You can see the architectural drawings and take a virtual tour of the ranch HERE.

A Word From Heather

Heather Lauren Quiroga, Development Director

As we reach the halfway mark of an unprecedented year, we're feeling hopeful. Perhaps we're getting better at making the swift adjustments needed to keep ahead of this year's twists and turns. At a time when little else is certain, I am sure of one thing - the passion and commitment of you, our amazing family of supporters. We are truly humbled and beyond grateful to all those who showed up, big and loud, with messages of support and #GivingTuesdayNow donations this spring. THANK YOU to all who see the value in supporting our wildly popular COVID-response virtual programming and the continued forward movement toward building our groundbreaking community. We are pleased to report that, thanks to your ongoing support, we haven't missed a beat.  

We cast our gaze now toward September.  Since we cannot safely gather as a community this year, we invite you to save the date (the 26th, 6-7pm) for our exciting new virtual talent show and fundraising celebration. Our program will star our absolutely inspirational, unapologetically different ambassadors, who will demonstrate just how deeply ability, attitude, and belief in oneself are linked. Registration for this free event begins August 26th.  We are still seeking event sponsors at all levels.  Scroll down to Spotlight on Fundraising to learn more about how YOU can help us reach our goals by becoming an "Unapologetically Different Watch Party Host"

A Word From Sally

Sally McCance, Program Director

In the midst of great change and in the face of adversity, our fearless ambassador community continues to be a joyful, steadfast constant. Although it is not how we anticipated spending our time together, pivoting to remote programming has had many silver linings. I have been able to spend countless hours getting to know our ambassadors on a much more personal level, spending time together and connecting on a consistent basis (for some ambassadors, up to 3 times a week). Forming relationships is one of the best parts of my job, and I am so very grateful for each and every opportunity to deepen those relationships- whether in person or over ZOOM. And as you will see in our photos below, virtual programming may limit our physical interactions, but it certainly does not limit our silliness and joy!

In addition to the increase in time spent together, the ease and accessibility of remote programming has also allowed us to welcome new ambassadors to the TTR family, and re-welcome ambassadors who were previously unable to attend programming for various reasons (scheduling, transportation challenges etc.). We recognize the value of remote programming and look forward to evolving our virtual offerings in the coming year.

Even when apart, it is always our mission to provide unwavering community for our ambassadors and their families. If there is anything at all that we can do to support you during the time, please don't hesitate to reach out.

A Word from Sara

Sara Kidd, Volunteer and Social Media Coordinator

In a time where it seems that so many things have been put "on hold" one thing that has not is the amazing love and support we have at Tall Tales Ranch. Already we have seen huge success in our social media support. We have gained over 300 new followers/supporters, and our social media pages are seeing more engagement than ever before. If you aren't following us on social media, I would encourage you to click the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram icons at the bottom of this page to follow us and keep up with all of the fun action going on there! 

Additionally, I am thrilled to announce that we have officially launched a Tall Tales Ranch blog! You can read our first blog post by the beloved Jonah Berger directly below. We are so grateful to Jonah for being the first of many writers on this new adventure and we welcome any of our amazing TTR family to let us know if YOU have a topic you would like to see in our blog for the future. If you have great ideas or interest in writing please click here to let me know!

Keep spreading the love!

Want to stay up to date on the latest volunteer opportunities? Click Here to sign-up!

Brainstorming a blog from scratch is intimidating.  There are SO many out there - so we had to ask ourselves: what do we have to say that matters?  A lot, we think.  Especially now.  At a time when there is an explosion of new dialogue on the issue of recognizing each of our roles in the acknowledgement and celebration of diversity, we know our friends with special needs deserve to be part of that conversation.  

We knew we wanted this project to give voice to inspirational members of the disability community, as well as those who live, love and work with those with special needs. We also hope to tease out a lightness and humor between the lines. So, our inaugural choice of guest blogger was a no-brainer, because he is all of these things.  He is also a person near and dear to the TTR community.  

We have come to know Jonah Berger, former Tall Tales Ranch Program Director, for his vast experience with the IDD community, unfailing sense of humor, and limitless kindness. We interviewed Jonah and asked him to talk about his own disability, gratitude, gastrointestinal comedy, silver linings, and fried Oreos.  

Spotlight on Fundraising

Become a Watch Party Host!

Introduce a few friends to Tall Tales Ranch and toast to an uplifting evening of support for the IDD community. 

Your family and/or your business will be recognized in the pre-show cocktail hour loop and during the live program.

Click HERE to become a Watch Party Host or sponsor at any level.