A Night at the Races
A Night at the Races
A Night at the Races
A FUNdraiser unlike any you’ve seen before
It’s that time of year again – the leaves are changing, the air is getting cooler, and the nonprofits in town are doing their annual fundraising. It seems everyone is strapped for cash these days, so some nonprofits are thinking outside of the box – or track in this case.
The Mercy Health Foundation is planning “A Night at the Races” – a one night event of Horse Racing at the Irish Embassy. The idea arose at a brainstorming session when owners of the Embassy got together with employees at the Foundation to come up with a different way to raise money for the Breast Care Center. Originally planned to be a black tie affair, the group eventually decided to open it up to everyone, with no entry fee for the event, and make it into a casual evening – although big hats and fancy dresses are encouraged!
We know what you’re thinking – how do you have horse races inside a pub? The answer is actually a very popular event in Ireland. “Many pubs have horse racing events. There’s a company that specializes in horse racing packages, so you buy actual races, replay them, and place your bets. The audience won’t know if it’s a race from 1975 at the Galway Races or from 1992 at the Kentucky Derby,” said Irish Embassy owner John Fingleton. All of the money for the bets will go directly to The Mercy Health Foundation for the Breast Care Center – October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The winner of each race will receive donated prizes, with the grand prize being 2 nights stay and 2 ski passes to Breckenridge, compliments of Coors. The races will begin at 4pm and continue until around midnight, with ten races total. You may stop in at any time; it’s not mandatory to be at every race in order to win. Karen Midkiff, Chief Development Officer at Mercy Health Foundation said, “The more attention we can give to Breast Cancer Awareness the more lives we can save. This is a unique way of getting our community to participate in an event while contributing to a great cause.”
Listing information:
A Night at the Races
Saturday, Oct. 23 4:00pm-midnight
The Irish Embassy Pub
900 Main Ave. Durango, CO 81301
Links to websites:
Place your bets and cheer your horse! Prizes awarded for each race, with a grand prize at the end of the evening. All proceeds benefit Mercy Health Foundation for the Mercy Regional Breast Care Center. Proper horse race attire is not required but is encouraged, so get that big hat out of your closet and come on down! Donations accepted.
For more information call 764-2800.
