Page 14 - December 2016 Thoroughbred Highlight

Feed - “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink.”
Last issue I shared what our Chaplaincy’s vision is: “Feed, Clothe, Visit, Counsel, Care- Matt25/365”. This comes from Matthew 25:31-46, where the oft-quoted phrase, “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do to me”, is found. This parable, which is very apt
for this time of year, describes how the King of Kings of the Sport of Kings responds to His people, who are un atteringly portrayed as sheep and goats. One group, (the sheep), are commended for how well they treated the King, (undoubtedly incognito), while the other group, (the goats) are condemned for how poorly they responded to the needs of the King.
Two-legged athletes have incredible appetites
and so they should- food is fuel and they burn it up
at an astounding rate. It’s not just ordinary or junk food. It’s rich in protein and carbohydrates- whatever is necessary for a body to train and compete at whatever level they are at. Race horses are no different- they need fuel to train and compete and gobble down feed that is often healthier than what the average person eats. No longer just hay and oats, trainers can order feed ne- tuned to the taste of their charges. If a horse isn’t eating, it doesn’t take too long to realize some thing’s not right, whether it’s a maiden or California Chrome.
The care-takers of race horses need fuel too,
just as two and four-legged athletes do. Due to
the hours and circumstances of our industry, (and perhaps personal issues of workers as well), equine care-takers don’t always ingest the best food, or
even enough food, to keep themselves running. In the Chaplaincy’s eyes, no one should go hungry!
To address this need, we provide opportunities for folks to chow down. The rst Friday after the end of the meet is a good example: our annual Christmas lunch. Not only staples like chicken, turkey and ham, but fresh fruit and vegetables as well. Thanks to friends like John Russell, dessert is a fruit salad of strawberries, raspberries, black and/or blue berries. We like our people to be fed, but also fed well. If there are leftovers, containers are provided for takeout. Collectively, we host four bar-be-que’s June- September, (no junk here- our burgers are all-beef!), as well as a spring and fall come and go lunch. These are big events, designed to reach as many people as possible, especially those who live at the track.
Wednesday provides us with a chance to provide a healthy lunch, even more this year with the launch of the Woodbine Community Garden. Along with Youth Without Shelter and Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter, the Chaplaincy is a recipient of the harvest from
this spectacular idea. You simply can’t get fresher than food which was picked that morning! Tuesday is Chapel Day and the Jake Howard Center hosts a dinner before our service which is open to anyone- Chapel attendance not required. Tuesday is a dark day so the track kitchen is closed early. We can’t guarantee what you’ll be eating, but thanks to our fantastic volunteers, you can be sure you’re eating something.
Finally, if a person comes to us in need, or we hear it through the grapevine, we’ll make sure you get a grocery store gift card.
At this time of year, a lot of charity happens because it’s Christmas. However, horse people have needs year round and our desire is to see that no one goes hungry, at Christmas or any other time of year.
Have a blessed Christmas and New Year everyone!
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Thoroughbred Highlight - Page 14 - December 2016