Churchill Downs to present donations to charities

Churchill Downs officials will present donation checks totaling $223,346 on

Thursday to four charitable organizations that benefited from fundraising

partnerships with the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and the new Taste of Derby, a new event

introduced during Kentucky Derby Week.

Representatives of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Horses and Hope, Dare to Care

and The World Food Programme will be at the historic home of the Kentucky Derby

Thursday afternoon to accept checks for the donations to their respective

organizations and causes. The donations will be presented to those groups in the

winner's circle following the 7TH race, which has a scheduled post time of 3:57

p.m. (EDT).

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated

to the fight against breast cancer in the world, will receive a check for

$118,346 to help fund the search for a cure for breast cancer. That donation

grows out of the second year of the fundraising partnership between Komen for

the Cure and the Kentucky Oaks. Churchill Downs pledged to donate $1 for each

person who attended the 2010 renewal of the Oaks, and a record crowd of 116,046

poured through the track's admission gates on April 30. Also included in the

Komen fundraising total is $2,300 in winnings from the "Kentucky Oaks Dream

Bet," in which the track wagered $1,000 on each of the 14 fillies that competed

in the race. The winner was the favored Blind Luck, who paid $4.60 for each $2

win wager.

The partnership of Komen for the Cure and the Kentucky Oaks has generated

$218,346 in breast cancer research funding during its first two years.

A check for $30,000 will be presented to Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear to

benefit her Horses and Hope breast cancer outreach initiative in Kentucky's

horse industry. Horses and Hope provides breast cancer screening and education

to stable workers and other employees at Kentucky racetracks. The check, which

will be accepted by Beshear, represents the fulfillment of a Churchill Downs

pledge to donate $1 from the sale of each of "Oaks Lily," the signature drink of

the Kentucky Oaks, on the day of the race.

The donations to the United Nations World Food Programme and Louisville's

Dare to Care Food Bank grew out of the inaugural Taste of Derby, a celebration

of food, racing and style hosted by Churchill Downs, which was held at

Louisville's Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center on April 29. The World Food

Programme and Dare to Care are key partners in Taste of Derby's presenting

sponsor, Yum! Brands, own World Hunger Relief initiative, the world's largest

private-sector, hunger-relief effort. Each program received half of the $70,000

in designated proceeds from the 2010 Taste of Derby.

"The fundraising efforts championed by Churchill Downs and these great

organizations have produced exciting results, and we are pleased to formally

present these contributions to our partners for work that is making a

substantial difference in the lives of so many people," said Dana Johnson,

director of community relations for Churchill Downs. "Kentucky Derby Week and

the annual celebration of the Kentucky Oaks have long been important parts of

life in this community and region, and it is very gratifying to Churchill Downs

and our partners to see these celebrations help to raise critical funding for

people in need in our community and beyond."