LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Wesley Laraway upon the occasion of his
designation as recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Scho-
harie County Chamber of Commerce

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made signif-
icant contributions to the quality of life therein; and
WHEREAS, From time to time this Legislative Body takes note of certain
extraordinary individuals it wishes to recognize for their valued
contributions to the success and progress of society and publicly
acknowledge their endeavors which have enhanced the basic humanity among
us all; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Wesley Laraway
upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Lifetime
Achievement Award by the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce, to be
celebrated at its Annual Business Dinner and Awards Ceremony on Friday,
April 1, 2016, at Cavern's Palace, Howe Caves, New York; and
WHEREAS, Wesley Laraway has been called upon to contribute his time
and talents to countless civic and charitable endeavors and has always
given of himself unstintingly; and
WHEREAS, Well known throughout Schoharie County, Wesley Laraway is the
director and founder of New York Wildlife Rescue Center and Northeast
Llama Rescue and Barnyard Sanctuary, one of the largest privately run
not-for-profit organizations in the Northeast; and
WHEREAS, In this capacity, Wes Laraway has rescued countless domestic,
exotic and wild animals each year from across the country; sick, injured
and orphaned animals are nursed back to health, domestic animals are
rehabilitated and adopted out to carefully screened families, and exotic
animals are relocated to various zoos; and
WHEREAS, Raised in Middleburgh, New York, Wesley Laraway grew up work-
ing for his family business, Laraway's Oil Company; he is a proud Troop
2 Eagle Scout, and was chosen as the Elks' Schoharie County Teenager of
the Year in 1986; and
WHEREAS, Wesley Laraway is a teacher at Middleburgh Central School and
is a licensed New York State Wildlife Rehabilitator; he does more than
50 appearances annually to promote wildlife conservation and preserva-
tion for our future generations; and
WHEREAS, Renowned nationwide for his animal rescue efforts, Wesley
Laraway coordinated volunteers from around the United States to remove
more than 600 llamas from the Montana Large Animal Sanctuary; this was
the largest animal rescue in the United States since Hurricane Katrina,
and involved more than 2,000 neglected and starving animals of various
species; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his steadfast and unwavering commitment to
wildlife conservation, Wesley Laraway has been instrumental in positive-
ly influencing local youth, changing their lives for the better; with no
paid staff, his rescue facility is run with the help of volunteers, many
of whom are his past and present high school students, as well as
students from the Wildlife Society at Cobleskill College; and
WHEREAS, In addition, he works closely with the community service
program, giving people a place where they can fulfill their court-man-
dated hours while making a difference in the lives of the animals; and
WHEREAS, With him throughout has been his wife, Darcy, who feels priv-
ileged to be a part of his life and rejoices in his achievements; and
WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individ-
ual for the benefit of others which Wesley Laraway has displayed
throughout his life; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Wesley Laraway upon the occasion of his designation as recipient
of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Schoharie County Chamber of
Commerce; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Wesley Laraway.