New York’s Racetrack Chaplaincy Seeks Volunteers and Sponsors for Holiday Events

The New York chapter of the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America (NYRTCA) has a number of upcoming holiday events scheduled for backside families, in addition to a weekly food pantry, and has opened up volunteer opportunities. Upcoming are the following events:

  • 10 a.m., Sat., Nov. 19: Packing for Thanksgiving Distribution (Belmont Clubhouse);
  • 10 a.m., Mon., Nov. 21: Thanksgiving Distribution to Backstretch Families (Belmont Clubhouse);
  • 11 a.m., Tue. Nov. 22: Backstretch Thanksgiving Luncheon (Rec Hall at Belmont);
  • Dec. 6: Saratoga Christmas “Sponsor a Family” Dinner (Longfellows in Saratoga);
  • 6 p.m., Wed., Dec. 14: Christmas Carnival (Belmont Clubhouse);
  • 11 a.m., Tue., Dec. 20: Backstretch Christmas Luncheon (Rec Hall at Belmont);
  • TBA, Belmont/Aqueduct “Sponsor a Family” Christmas Event.

“For donors and volunteers, this is an opportunity to get involved and get to know some of the hard-working people of the backstretch,” said Chaplaincy's Honorary Board member Letty McLaughlin. “Getting involved is so important and it also feels good. And if you volunteer year after year as our family does, you get to see some of the children grow up. I love being there.”

To make a donation, to volunteer, or to sponsor a family, please visit rtcany.org.

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NYRA Announces New Backstretch Healthcare Clinic at Saratoga

Officials at NYRA Cares and Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.) announced that a new healthcare clinic will be built at Saratoga Race Course and is due to open in 2023. As a tribute to his late wife, Marylou Whitney, philanthropist John Hendrickson is funding construction of the new clinic, which will replace a double wide trailer that has housed on-site healthcare services at the track.

The new clinic will provide a dramatically improved experience for those receiving primary and emergency healthcare services at Saratoga Race Course, which will be provided by doctors and medical professionals from Saratoga Hospital. John Hendrickson has pledged $1.2 million for construction of the permanent clinic, some $400,000 of which was raised in a 2020 auction of possessions belonging to Mrs. Whitney.

To date, a concrete foundation has been poured for the new clinic, which will include a large waiting area, four examination rooms, a lab for blood work and office space. A groundbreaking ceremony is set for Wednesday, July 13, on the eve of the 2022 summer meet. Work will then resume in September with the building to open in the spring of 2023.

“No one shared her blessings and good fortune more than Marylou,” Mr. Hendrickson said. “No one was more dedicated to helping charities than Marylou, and so the idea was born. Her spirit of giving will live on.”

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David Cassidy: A Triple Crown Life Event Held Aug. 16

In celebration of the life and memory of celebrity David Cassidy, the 5th Annual David Cassidy: A Triple Crown Life Event will be held at Putnum Place in Saratoga Springs, NY Aug. 16.

Hosted by the David Cassidy Memorial Legacy Group (DCMLG), the fundraiser aims to promote racing and to support Thoroughbred aftercare organizations, this year including the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, NYRA Cares, Take The Lead, Take2 and Columbia Greene Humane Society.

Debuting in 2021, the David Cassidy Remember Me Awards will again be included at this year's summer fundraiser. Featured among the award categories are Thoroughbred Aftercare Awards, Compassionate Trainers and Owners Awards, Heart of Saratoga Awards, Animal Welfare and Advocacy Awards, Animal Rescues and Shelters Awards, Amazing Horse Racing Awards and Thoroughbred Horse Racing Community Awards. The program will also include a concert.

The DCMLG previously announced a scholarship program, which includes four scholarships: The David Bruce Cassidy Thoroughbred Horse Racing Family Scholarship; David Bruce Cassidy Memorial Saratoga County Scholarship; The Dr. Jerry Bilinski Animal Sciences Scholarship; and The David Bruce Cassidy Theatre and The Arts Scholarship. The deadline for all scholarship applications is Apr. 12. For more information, email DavidCassidyIts4ever@gmail.com.

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NYRA Cares: NYRA Continues Support For Hope For The Warriors

Connecting with the organization Hope For The Warriors was the link that U.S.M.C. Staff Sergeant Ryan Anderson used “to regain my freedom,” as he put it.

In 2006, Staff Sergeant Anderson was diagnosed with PTSD and a mild Traumatic Brain Injury after being subjected to seven improvised explosive devices (IEDs) within a three-day span in Iraq. The injuries affected his ability to speak and eventually left him nearly unable to walk.

Back home, Staff Sergeant Anderson connected with Hope For The Warriors in hopes of finding a way to remain active. Starting with a hand cycle donated by the organization and combined with intensive rehabilitation and the support of his family, Staff Sergeant Anderson is now a marathon runner and working toward a dual master's degree in business administration and finance.

Welcome to another success story from Hope For The Warriors, the North Carolina-based organization that supports post 9/11 service members, veterans and military families in transitioning back to the civilian world. It's because of the inspiring story of Staff Sergeant Anderson and hundreds of others that the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is continuing its support of Hope For The Warriors.

To honor the organization and to commemorate Veterans Day, which is next Thursday, Nov. 11, NYRA and owner Harold Lerner are each donating $5,000 to Hope For The Warriors. The donations match those of previous years when NYRA and Mr. Lerner, a U.S. Army veteran, honored service members on Veterans Day.

“NYRA is proud to partner once again with Hope For The Warriors, an organization that provides much needed services to our veterans in the New York City area and around the country,” said NYRA's Manager of Community Relations Vanessa Rodriguez Payne. “Their work is absolutely crucial to helping post-9/11 veterans and military families regain their footing and thrive.”

United by Honor and Sacrifice

Hope For The Warriors calls itself, “a family, united by our shared conviction of honor and sacrifice.” It was founded in 2006 by military families aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, who witnessed firsthand what war does to service members and their families. The organization offers comprehensive support, health and wellness programs as diverse as the people it serves.

Its Warrior's Compass program provides comprehensive Transition Services for veterans starting new careers and opportunities for employers to find qualified candidates among service members, military spouses and veterans. That takes in everything from job training to candidate matching, mentoring, resume building and access to 1,500-plus companies looking to hire veterans.

The organization's scholarship program provides aid in continuing education at accredited universities, colleges or trade schools. And in cases where a veteran or family member is hesitant to seek mental health care treatment within their community or from the VA, a clinical team from Hope For The Warriors team provides short-term, stop-gap supportive services that engage the veteran or family in seeking treatment close to home.

Elsewhere, Hope For The Warriors' stability grant program provides short-term financial assistance when a veteran or service member is struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Still another program, Resilient Warrior, helps military members and families develop helpful coping tools to combat stress and become more resilient.

Staff Sergeant Anderson is thankful for those services. As a runner, the father of five now trains up to six days a week with an average of 18 to 20 miles, and has completed both the Boston and the Marine Corps marathons. And he is grateful that after his injury, he again has hope.

“It just means so much because Hope For The Warriors has given me so much after my injury,” Staff Sergeant Anderson said. “They've helped me get started from a hand cycle, all the way up to now I'm running marathons. I just couldn't do it without them. This organization has helped me to feel normal again, and I cannot thank them enough for everything that they do.”

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