|
Darke County Harness Horsemen president, Kerby Wilcox, presents a
$1,000 check from Fitzwater's Tree
and Lawn Care to Richard Delk and
the Darke County Fairboard. CNO Photo by George Starks
|
|
DCHHA honors the best
on 2014
Riegle Memorial receives donation
By George Starks
GREENVILLE- The Darke County Harness Horseman’s Association (DCHHA)
honored its best from the 2014 racing season Saturday night at the Elks
Lodge in Greenville.
Early in the evening, DCHHA president Kerby Wilcox made a $1,000 check
presentation to Richard Delk with the fairboard in attendance from a
donation made by Fitzwater Tree & Lawn Care.
It was a huge shot in the arm for the Riegle Memorial and Delk was very
appreciative for the local business that stepped up.
“This is a huge start for us to reach our goal in purse money,” said
Delk. “I think the first year we were at 15,000 dollars and last year
it was 20,000 but I don’t have my figures with me so this is a guess.
We want to keep this going and this donation helps us grow. When we get
people like Fitzwater onboard, it’s a huge start for us. They are big
supporters of the Darke County Fair and that speaks volumes for the
county itself.”
With Fitzwater showing its support for the Riegle, Delk
pointed out one other Darke County business.
“I don’t know how many know this but the mugs we get for the big race
is made by Jaffe,” said Delk. “I think that’s great. They gave us a
better deal than anyone else out there. It just shows the support the
public gives to the fair.”
In the inaugural year, the Riegle Memorial brought in a crowd that went
beyond the imagination of Delk.
“I’m not going to lie,” said Delk. “The first year was so overwhelming
that I almost started to cry. The stands were packed. The amount of
people and the quality of horses that were there. When it was done,
people came up to us telling us it was absolutely wonderful. It was
almost like being at The Jug (The Little Brown Jug). If anyone’s ever
been to the Jug, they know what it means to be compared to the biggest
race in Ohio. So when people like Fitzwater’s donate to it, others read
about it and they want to be a part of it. There’s nothing too little
to donate. Not to something like this. The first year of this race,
there was a guy there from Delaware County (Home of the Little Brown
Jug) and he told me how impressed he was. He couldn’t believe it.”
Now with the inception of the Three Diamonds for fillies and
mares, it only gets better.
“It’s all about the donation,” Delk said. “These races are huge and the
fairboard does a lot but it’s donations that builds these races up to
where they’re at.”
Delk said if any business or individual wishes to make a donation, they
can contact Tim Harless, the fairboard or Delk himself.
Before the start of the night’s festivities Wilcox told those in
attendance what the association did at the annual banquet from a year
ago.
DCHHA Memberships In 2014:
*13 Lifetime Memberships
*56 Family Memberships
*19 Single Memberships
During the 2014 banquet, 119 attended and $4,910.08 raised from
auctions conducted
In 2014, the annual Darke County Matinee had 84 horses entered in 24
races. There were 269 BBQ chicken dinners sold with a profit of $831
raised. The profit from the races that day totaled $2,469.21.
At the Great Darke County Fair, profits from the fair booth and program
sales were approx. $4,431.93 but paid $5,900 to the Darke County Ag
Society- $5,000 fair overnights donation and $900 program sales fee.
The DCHHA donated $500 towards the Gene Riegle Memorial filly/mare race
with another $500 going towards the Riegle Mugs.
The DCHHA also donated win blankets, Darke County Shriners and t-shirts
and purchased a popcorn machine for the fair booth.
|
|
|
|
