Page 19 - October 2005 The Game

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
The Game, October 2005 19
Backstretch Workers Still Needed to Take Standard First Aid Course
HBPA Update
HBPAAdministrativeOffices:135Queen’sPlateDrive,Suite370,Toronto,ON,M9W6V1 phone:416-747-5252
Health and Safety
Report from the Executive Director
As you are aware the HBPA is aiding the trainers to reach industry standards for Health and Safety.
We are still looking for more people to take the Standard First Aid and CPR Course. The course is being offered by the HBPA at NO COST to the participants If you are interested please contact the Woodbine Track office at 416-675-3802.
Health and Safety Committee
The Ministry of Labour also requires that there is a Health and Safety Committee set up to represent the Backstretch Worker and Employers. We are looking for people who are interested in becoming a Committee Member. For more information or to sign up please contact the HBPA office at 416-675-3802.
Thanksgiving Dinner at Fort Erie
The HBPA would like to invite all Fort Erie Backstretch Employees to enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner on Wednesday, October 12 in the backstretch kitchen. A tradition Turkey dinner with all the fixings will be served between 11:00 am and 1:30 pm courtesy of the HBPA. Tickets are free and available at the Fort Erie HBPA Backstretch Office. You must have a ticket.
Backstretch Banquets
Dust off your dancing shoes and get ready to put your best foot forward for the HBPA’s Annual Awards Banquets.
This year’s Fort Erie HBPA Awards Banquet is scheduled for Thursday, October 27 at the Leisureplex in Fort Erie and will feature a “Back to the 60’s” theme. So dig out your best vintage wear and get ready for a swinging good time! Tickets are $25.00 and are on sale until October 21. The evening includes a delicious buffet dinner, along with awards, prizes and a band to rock the night away. Tickets usually go fast and you must have a ticket to attend so drop by the Fort Erie HBPA Backstretch office today.
This year’s Woodbine HBPA Awards Banquet is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8 at LeJardin Banquet Centre on Hwy 27. Tickets are $15.00 and will be on sale in mid-October. The evening includes a fabulous buffet dinner, along with awards and prizes and a DJ to let you boogie the night away. Tickets sell out fast and you must have a ticket to attend so make sure you get your tickets early. For more information drop by the Woodbine HBPA Backstretch office today.
HBPA Day at the Races
Fort Erie Backstretch Children’s Christmas Party
Make way for Santa and his sack of toys, it is time once again for the HBPA Backstretch Children Christmas Party. This year’s party will be held once again at the Crystal Ridge Community Centre and is scheduled for December 3. This is a popular event and you must have a ticket to attend. Tickets will be available at the Fort Erie Backstretch Office beginning October 22 to November 3.
Shedrow of the Month
Congratulations to Mike DePaulo and his crew who are the winners of Shedrow of the Month for September 2005 at Woodbine. Shedrow of the month winners at Woodbine receive $100.00 from the HBPA and $100.00 from WEG.
Congratulations to Michael Osborne and his crew who are the winners of Shedrow of the Month for September 2005 at Fort Erie. Shedrow of the month winners at Fort Erie receive $100.00 from the HBPA.
This year’s running of the Grade
1, $1 million Atto mile at
Woodbine on September 18 was
very special on two accounts: First
of all, the winner of the race was a
super horse named Leroidesanimaux trained by
Bobby Frankel and owned by
TNT Stud. In French, Leroidesanimaux means “the king
of animals”. Boy does the name
fit. Leroidesanimaux, a Brazilian
import, came into the race on a
seven race win streak, two of those
races being Grade 1’s. His perfor-
mance in this year’s Atto mile was nothing short of spectacular. It has been a long time since we have been able to see such a freakish horse up close and personal. Secondly, and very signifi- cant, Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) and the HBPA of Ontario announced at the post position drawing of the Atto mile that all com- missions earned from the race (both the race- track’s share and the horsemen’s share) would be donated to the Terry Fox Foundation. Although the estimated proceeds of commis- sion on the race did not meet the expected $20,000 platform, both WEG and the HBPA agreed to top it off at $10,000 each to reach a contribution of $20,000. In addition, TNT Stud, the owners‚ of Leroidesanimaux matched the joint contribution by donating an additional $20,000 of the purse winnings to the Terry Fox Foundation. The unified efforts of our industry to support charities such as these can not go unforgotten. We, as an industry, have a corpo- rate and moral obligation to be the best possible corporate citizens we can be. This gesture initi- ated by Mr. David Willmot, CEO of WEG and
supported by the HBPA Board of Directors just shows how our industry has become sociably responsible and sensitive to causes that outweigh racing itself. This gesture reminds me of a quote from Dr. Albert Schweitzer, by all accounts one of the greatest men of the last century, “Until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.”
The Terry Fox Foundation was, of course, inspired by Terry Fox himself. Terry was only 18 years
old when he was diagnosed with osteogenic sar- coma (bone cancer) and forced to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres (six inches) above the knee in 1977. While in hospital, Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for Cancer research. He would call his journey, “the Marathon of Hope”.
It was a journey that Canadians never forgot!
On September 1, 1980 (almost 25 years to the day), Terry was forced to stop his run out- side Thunder Bay, after 143 days and 5373 kilo- metres (3339 miles) because cancer had appeared in his lungs. An entire nation was stunned and saddened. Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at age 22.
To date, more than $360 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry’s name. Incredibly, 87 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to fund cancer research. That per- centage is astonishing.
The horseracing industry should be very proud of what they have done.
Wayne Grant, received $100 from the HBPA for
Be Envied, winner of the fourth race during HBPA Day at the Races at Woodbine.
Executive Director Nick Coukos
Photo Left - HBPA Director Layne Giliforte (back left) presents the winning connections of Kagan’s Corner with a $100 cheque for the groom and a leather shank for the horse owner during HBPA Day at the Races on September 5 at Fort Erie.
Photo Below - HBPA President Conrad Cohen (middle - light suit) presents the winning connections of Mono Ridge with a $100 cheque for the groom Carlton Teape and a leather shank for the horse owner during HBPA Day at the Race at Woodbine September 11.