Indiana Grand Donates $1,000 to PDJF
In a night dedicated to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), jockeys stepped up to help raise awareness and funds for the worthwhile organization. To help kick fundraising off, Indiana Grand Racing & Casino donated $1,000 to the cause to help boost to total of donations to PDJF, which assists jockeys who have experienced career ending injuries.
Representing the jockey colony for the $1,000 check presentation in the winner’s circle was Alejandro Contreras, Rodney Prescott, Octavio Vergara Jr. and Malcolm Franklin. Lenny Lisle, director of marketing at Indiana Grand, made the presentation to the group of jockeys during the racing program.
Several activities took place during PDJF Night, including a session where jockeys “passed the boot” to gather donations from racing fans. In addition, several jockeys braved cooler temperatures by climbing into the dunk tank to raise funds through “A Buck a Ball.” Octavio Vergara Jr., Ben Creed, Shanley Jackson, Victor Olivo and Gerardo Garrido each took their turn on the seat over the cold water as racing fans took turns throwing balls to splash the jockeys in the tub of water.
Jockeys also came out in full force for a tug of war competition between races. A total of 13 jockeys lined up against eight members of the gate crew to battle it out pound for pound in the competition. In the end, the jockeys got the final call as winners of the tug of war and earned bragging rights.
In addition to the activities trackside, jockeys also stepped up to donate mounts from the day for PDJF. At the conclusion of the night, more than $1,500 was raised to support PDJF.
To kick off the weekend event, five jockeys visited Riley Children’s Hospital Friday, Sept. 12. The trip was made possible through Mike and Marci McCauley, who are owners and breeders in the state of Indiana. Their eight-year-old daughter, Cierra, is a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of six but is now cancer free. Jockeys went to the oncology floor at Riley and were able to visit with more than a dozen kids under the age of 18 who are currently undergoing treatment for some form of cancer at the facility. Those attending the hospital visit included Rodney Prescott, Ben Creed, Octavio Vergara Jr., Malcolm Franklin and Amanda Tamburello. Rachel McLaughlin, Indiana Grand’s on-air racing personality, also accompanied the jockeys to Riley Children’s Hospital, which is located in downtown Indianapolis. The visit was part of the support for Childhood Cancer Awareness month, a movement by jockeys at 22 different racetracks across the United States. Jockeys are wearing gold ribbons during the month of September to support the cause.
Donations are still being accepted to support PDJF. For more information or to make a donation, go to PDJF.org.
Live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing continues through Saturday, Nov. 1 offering racing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 2:05 p.m. with Friday and Saturday action beginning at 5:05 p.m. For more information, visit the Website at indianagrand.com.
Source: Indiana Grand