Hoosier Park honors charitable donations

Hoosier Park Racing & Casino and the Fab Five Standardbred drivers honored five local and Central Indiana charitable organizations with donations at the inaugural Champions for Charities luncheon held yesterday March 23, 2010. Hoosier Park's Fab Five Standardbred drivers raised the funds over the duration of the 2009 Standardbred racing season through the Charity Chariots program. The Charity Chariots program gave those racing fans willing to donate $20,the opportunity to ride alongside their favorite Fab Five driver behind real racehorses around the Hoosier Park racetrack.

Hoosier Park introduced the Fab Five in 2009 as a select group of Standardbred drivers, each with their own logo, signature practices and brand identity, in an effort to reignite interest in the sport of horse racing and create a group of goodwill community ambassadors. The Fab Five include drivers Jason Dillander, Mike Peterson, Trace Tetrick, Joe Putnam and Ricky Macomber.

"Hoosier Park Racing & Casino and the Fab Five are dedicated to continuing our charitable efforts," said VP of Marketing, Jahnae Erpenbach. "The Fab Five drivers have placed a much needed spotlight on the sport of horse racing and through their efforts they are continuing to bring in new fans each year."

The charitable organizations honored were Outfitters, Inc. represented by Michelle Marks and Mary Harvey, Indiana School for the Deaf represented by Dr. Mary Glen Rinne, Shriners Hospital for Children
represented by Jeff Mock, American Cancer Society represented by Troy Jones, and D.A.R.E represented by Stan Young from the Anderson Police Department. The checks were presented to each organization by Hoosier Park's General Manager of Racing, Jeff Smith.

The funds raised by the Fab Five drivers were augmented by Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in an effort to strengthen the impact these donations will have on the beneficiaries. In total, more than $5,000 was distributed to the participating charities.(Hoosier)