The Szymanskis and Suplees remained friends. The Suplees returned to Chincoteague every Pony Penning. They prayed. They watched for kids in need who wanted a pony. Sometimes they didn’t sense clear direction. They bought a pony to give back to Assateague Island those years. 

The Suplees met a girl named Alissa Swenson after the auction in 2002. Alissa learned about Chincoteague in a book called Sea Feather. (Who wrote it? Lois Szymanski!) 

Alissa had just lost her father to cancer. She and her mother couldn’t afford to ship a pony home. Mrs. Suplee promised to help her buy a pony the next year. 

Mrs. Suplee’s cancer returned in March 2003. Her left side was paralyzed. The Suplees still went to Pony Penning. They helped Alissa purchase a pony. She named him Chincoteague Miracle. 

Lois Szymanski met with the Suplees before Mrs. Suplee died that October. The three talked about starting a nonprofit. It would honor Mrs. Suplee. And it would support kids who wanted ponies for years to come. 

Veronica was the first child helped by The Feather Fund in 2004. She bought a pony she named Miracle in the Making. What book inspired Veronica’s love for Chincoteague ponies? Sea Feather!

Mr. Suplee says The Feather Fund helps kids with more than ponies. They “learn responsibility, hard work, problem solving, and love for something outside themselves.” They also gain “interaction with others.” 

He tells young people, “Focus on a mission that is precious to you. You’ll do great things and leave something behind for others to enjoy.” 

Mr. Suplee is thankful for the Szymanskis. He says, “People working together are able to get marvelous things done.”