History

1987: The Ann Olsen Endowment is established and the Ann Olsen Open is held in October in Newtown, CT.

1990: The Open gives way to a more serious golf format and the Ann Olsen Greater Danbury Golf Classic is established in Danbury, CT. For the next three years, a black-tie gourmet wine-tasting dinner is held by the Endowment to raise additional funds.

1991: Cancer survivors Patricia Bragdon, Ph.D., LCSW, and Mary Burke incorporate I CAN, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency with Pat as President. The Ann Olsen Endowment, Danbury Internal Medicine Associates and the Greater Danbury Counseling Center provide initial support.

1991 - 1995: I CAN begins with 50 clients and operates in loaned space on Hospital Avenue provided by DIMA.

1995: I CAN searches for larger space and hires its first Executive Director, Dorit Reichental. The Ann Olsen Endowment provides funding for larger leased space in Peacock Alley. Early fundraising includes A Winter Wonderland Tour of Homes & Victorian Tea, which attracts 2,500 people in Danbury, followed by a Secret Garden Tour in Redding.

The Ann Olsen Golf Classic announces the quest to secure a new facility for I CAN and dedicates its proceeds to that end. The phrase “Ann’s Place, The Home of I CAN” is born.

1996: Dorit resigns in the fall and Development Director Judy Rafferty takes over both ED and DD positions due to budgetary constraints.

Dr. Michaelita Quinn becomes President of the Board. The inaugural Ladies Golf Tournament is held in June and a Fashion Show and a second Tour of Homes completes the funding year.

1997: Board member Wilda Hayes volunteers her time to follow Judy Rafferty as Executive Director in April. Dr. Robert Cooper becomes President of the Board. The agency is open only 3 days a week with only one paid clinical employee; clinical volunteers complete the staffing. 586 unduplicated individuals benefit from services in 1997. A benefit stage production of Love Letters is held for 450 at Candlewood Theatre starring David Canary and Marcy Walker and the second annual ladies Golf Tournament attracts a sell-out crowd.

Ann’s Fund is established with $300,000 from the Endowment’s AO Golf Classic proceeds at the Fairfield County Community Foundation. It will provide approximately $9,000 each year to Ann’s Place for operating expenses, while preserving the principal.

Community banker and activist Nancy Dolan takes up the cause and spearheads the donation of ½ acre of land for a new facility donated by New Milford Bank & Trust and the City of Danbury.

1998: 200 people access services each month. Clinical programs expand to meet community needs and accommodate referrals from hospitals, healthcare providers and other agencies. Ann’s Place begins a full five-day operation with additional staffing.

1999: Support groups expand to 18 groups with an increased clinical staff. An average of 275 clients use services each month.

2000- 2001: Growth continues; now there are 325 clients per month with 20 support groups. New facility planning continues under Board President Kenneth Ordway.

In April 2001, we launch our Hope in Action Capital Campaign under General chairman David Nurnberger with an initial $800,000 raised towards a goal of $1.2 million. The launch was followed by a farewell dinner for the Ann Olsen Endowment Board, as the AOE unincorporated and refocused its members’ efforts on the combined entity at Ann’s Place, which will continue the tradition of hosting the Ann Olsen Classic.

2002: Final city approvals are gained for our Padanaram Road facility; however, the growth in client base forces the Board to launch a search for a larger property and abort plans on that property, where insufficient parking would make opening impossible.

2003: The agency moves to larger interim leased offices on Newtown Road to handle the dramatic increase in clients. The more accessible location with large sunny windows encourages client visits and our growth continues. The staffing is increased again to handle the workload. The search for new property continues. To supplement income, we add a Festival of Trees & Traditions to our two golf tournaments. Tim O’Connor is president of the Board.

2004: The Woodlands II Group announces its plan to gift Ann’s Place, The Home of I CAN with 4 acres of land on Saw Mill Road in the Reserve project at Exit 1 in Danbury. The transfer occurs in October; it launches Phase II of our Hope in Action Capital Campaign for an additional $800,000.

2005: Paul P. Dinto leads the Building Committee and announces a state-wide coalition of contractors and union leaders will help build Ann’s Place. Frank and Laurie Gavel initiate a successful $25,000 challenge grant to encourage others to participate in the Hope in Action Campaign. Architectural plans go to the City for approval and the Planning and Environmental Impact Commission reviews begin. The Sheet Metal Workers Union generously donates the Starr Ridge Ballroom in Brewster for the Tree Festival.

2006: Our office lease ends on Newtown Road and Ann’s Place relocates in March to become the grateful guests of Dow Chemical Company at the Corporate Center near our construction site. Final City approvals are signed off in August and construction prep begins! The site is cleared of trees and graded. Survey work continues and the site is excavated for the foundation by the end of the year. Paul P. Dinto is President of the Board. We are now serving 600+ clients each month.