Letter from President Reoch ~ June 2004

Dear Friends,

An extraordinary effort has been quietly underway to sustain the personalized and highly effective care we provide for Tagtrug Mukpo, the eldest son of the Vidyadhara and Lady Diana Mukpo. The aim has been to create a fund capable of meeting his special care needs, and to ensure that this can be provided independently from the finances of Shambhala International. Tagtrug's care team and support group, as well as Lady Diana, Mitchell Levy and the Sakyong, have all been involved in thinking this through and working out different parts of the solution.

Thanks to the devoted service of Susan Taney and others in the team, the State of Vermont has now decided to make a major contribution of almost $65,000 a year. This is tremendous. It will go a long way towards enabling Tagtrug to continue to live and be cared for at the Vidyadhara's home near Karmê Chöling, Bhumi Pala Bhavan (BPB). We all feel this will be best for him.

To meet the full cost of his care, we now need to find the balance of funds (some $44,000 a year) from individual donors in the Shambhala mandala.

What this means in very practical terms is that after deducting the contribution from the State of Vermont we need to raise about $120 a day to provide the care Tagtrug needs. It is all spelled out in detail on this web site, which I really urge you to explore. It is a moving tribute to Tagtrug himself, and to the remarkable network of caregivers who have worked with him over the years.

I am happy to report that a number of donors have pledged an initial $7,156 to jump-start this effort. They include individual members of Tagtrug's support team, Lady Diana, Mitchell Levy and the Sakyong.

We need to find the remaining support in the coming months. I would very much like to encourage you to consider making a contribution either for this year, or as a recurring commitment that will enable us to create a stable and sustainable care environment for Tagtrug.

With much appreciation for whatever you can offer,

Richard Reoch

President of Shambhala

For the latest news on Taggie, please see
The Tagtrug Mukpo Support Team
Summer 2006 Care and Care Team Update