Fulfilling Its Mission of Caring for the Community
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Keeneland: Fulfilling its Mission of Caring for the Community INTRODUCTION Keeneland has a rich history of community Runhappy. Since its inception, College activism dating back to 1936 when its founders Scholarship Day has awarded more than Through the Years conceived a model race track intended $400,000 in scholarships and attracted to serve as a leader in the Thoroughbred thousands of students to the race track. Keeneland’s charitable outreach has industry and in Central Kentucky. • Keeneland Kids Club. While encouraging been at the forefront of historic civic Today, this philanthropic mission – fans of Thoroughbred racing and involving and horse industry initiatives in Central known as The Keeneland Way – continues them in Keeneland’s philanthropic efforts, Kentucky for more than 80 years: to guide Keeneland employees in their daily the Keeneland Kids Club offers events and • In 1954, Keeneland gave $200,000 to operations. programming year-round for nearly 10,000 Keeneland blends financial and in-kind children (page 8). the University of Kentucky to construct sponsorships to benefit numerous civic and • Fayette County Fifth Grade Tours. Some a dormitory. charitable organizations and lends its grounds 3,000 fifth grade students from 34 Central • In 1959, Keeneland closed for two as a backdrop for fundraising activities. Kentucky schools toured Keeneland as days as its employees, using Keeneland Support is focused on the areas of health part of the track’s annual field trip aimed equipment, moved St. Joseph Hospital and human services; education; arts, culture at educating area youth about the region’s (then known as the City’s Hospital) from and community; and Thoroughbred industry- horse industry. The 2018 program marked downtown Lexington to its current related causes. the eighth consecutive year Keeneland has location. hosted the weeklong event. Annual Keeneland Giving • At the height of the polio epidemic, Keeneland paid $10,000 for the Salk Keeneland hosts a number of events vaccine to assist in inoculating Fayette during its Spring and Fall Meets that enhance County children who otherwise might the racing experience for fans while giving not have been vaccinated. back to the community: • Military Day at the Races (Spring Meet) • In the mid-1980s, Keeneland gave $1 and Heroes Day (Fall Meet). Keeneland million over several years to establish hosted nearly 2,500 first responder and the University of Kentucky’s Maxwell A. military families in 2018, who enjoyed Gluck Equine Research Center. a complimentary day at the races, lunch and activities. Major funding gifts from Keeneland have positively impacted numerous Central Kentucky institutions and organizations: Keeneland’s founders intended it to be a gathering place for all. With this vision, • Kentucky Educational Television Keeneland uses its grounds year-round for (KET): $250,000 to help establish worthy community, fan development and an endowment to develop original tourism initiatives. Last year, Keeneland Kentucky programming. hosted more than 17,000 individuals for 16 run/walks, which raised nearly $1 million for • Kentucky Historical Society: $250,000 local charities. to build the Keeneland Changing Keeneland supported more than 650 local Exhibits Gallery, a temporary collections charities and fundraising efforts in 2018. space. The Keeneland Foundation made major • Midway College: $150,000 to expand gifts to a number of charities, among them its equine studies program. • Make-A-Wish Day. During the Fall the Lexington Public Library Foundation; Meet, Keeneland partners with local Lexington Rescue Mission; The Nest: Center • Fayette Education Foundation: $60,000 Thoroughbred farms and equine for Women, Children and Families; Lighthouse to reward and recognize Fayette County organizations to present Make-A-Wish Ministries; University of Kentucky Arboretum schools that successfully raise the Day to grant wishes for deserving and Ann Hanley Parkinson’s Research Fund. children. Wish Kids and their families education standards for all students. enjoy a VIP day at the races. More than Partnership with Maker’s Mark • Lexington’s Living Arts & Science $130,000 was raised for Make-A-Wish Center: $25,000 for a new classroom. in 2018, exceeding the organization’s Keeneland and Maker’s Mark partnered in targeted fundraising goal by 57 percent. 1997 to annually produce a commemorative • Kentucky Blood Center: $60,000 to The program has granted more than 100 Maker’s Mark bottle. Sales of the bottle have help build a new facility. wishes and raised more than $745,000 generated millions of dollars in charitable gifts • University of Kentucky’s W.T. Young since 2008. for Central Kentucky organizations, among Library: $50,000 to transform the • College Scholarship Day. Keeneland them the University of Kentucky’s Center teams with the Kentucky Thoroughbred for Academic and Tutorial Services (CATS), Keeneland Room into an active meeting Association to hold College Scholarship UK’s Gill Heart Institute, Markey Cancer space. Day each race meet. In 2018, $60,000 in Foundation, Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center scholarships was awarded, the largest at the Kentucky Horse Park and the Tubby amount ever offered. The total included Smith Foundation. four $10,000 scholarships presented by 6 2019 Keeneland Media Guide | Introduction Rev. 2/28/19 ®.