Tis the Season: Centaur Charity Events

Growing up in Lexington, a term I commonly heard in reference to those involved with the thoroughbred industry was “horse people.” Several years ago, a group of my friends took it a step further and began referring to the same type of people as “centaurs,” the mythical Greek figure that is half-man, half-horse. The term has grown quite significantly over the years and now I would say the majority of my non-centaur friends refer to me and anyone I work with in the industry as centaurs.

With the Kentucky Derby only 17 days away, and the Keeneland meet still in full swing, local Kentucky charity groups with any sort of centaur influence all seem to be hosting some sort of event in the next couple of weeks. So I have unofficially deemed this time of year: “Centaur Charity Season.” While not all are charity events, most of these are for great causes and I encourage you to check them out:

Wednesday, April 17:
Jocktails – at the new Furlongs (130 W. Tiverton Way, Lexington)
Time: 7-9pm
Tickets: Free admission
Proceeds: Benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund (PDJF)

Thursday, April 18:
Farmland Conservation Celebration and Auction – at Fasig-Tipton
Time: 5:30-9:30pm
Tickets: $85 in advance; $40 for Young Friends members; $100 at the door
Proceeds: Benefit the Bluegrass Conservacy (Invite)

Friday, April 19:
Jockey Autograph Signing at Keeneland
Time: 11:30am-12:30pm
Tickets: TBD
Proceeds: Benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockey’s Fund (PJDF)

It’s My Derby – at Fasig-Tipton
Time: 6-9pm
Tickets: $50 General Admission; $150 Four Roses VIP Reception
Proceeds: Not a charity event; hosted by The Kentucky Derby Museum

Saturday, April 20
10th Anniversary “Race to Read” 5K/10K – Downtown Midway, KY
Time: Registration – 7:30am; Race – 8:30am
Tickets: Pre-registration: $20; Race-day: $25
Proceeds: The Race For Education (Invite)

Town Mountain on “The Hill” – Keeneland
Time: 5:15-7pm
Tickets: Free!
Proceeds: Not a charity event (Facebook Invite)

Friday, April 26
Concert on the Lawn – Keeneland
Time: 4:30-6pm
Tickets: $175 per couple; $100 Individual (includes all day access to the Clubhouse plus open bar and hors d’ oeuvres during reception).
Proceeds: Markey Cancer Foundation (Invite) featuring: