The Limerick Charity Raceday, held on Monday October 14th, in support of Jockeys John Thomas McNamara and Jonjo Bright has raised €809,614 for the Jockeys Emergency Fund to date. A cheque will be officially presented to Peter Curling, representing the Jockeys Emergency Fund on December 28th, at Limerick Racecourse, by the Limerick Charity Raceday Committee*.
The majority of the money raised came through the live and silent auctions, race sponsorship by bookmakers and industry bodies, racehorse owners who participated in the ‘nail your colours to the mast’ campaign, corporate hospitality, turnstile admissions and donations prior to, during and after the raceday itself.
Industry groups including Horse Racing Ireland, The Turf Club, Jockeys, Valets, The Tote and Bookmakers donated pay and/or services. All racecourse suppliers covered each element of the raceday, to ensure that all monies earned or donated, apart from the essential costs of running a raceday, would go to the Fund.
Limerick Racecourse Manager, Russell Ferris said: “In organising this raceday, the committee and I expected a lot of goodwill but we did not anticipate the scale and generosity of the response. The sense of camaraderie and common purpose in coming to the aid of John Thomas and Jonjo is truly breath-taking. Special thanks go to all the racegoers who came racing on that wonderful day, the jockeys who put on a great show and of course my colleagues on the Limerick Charity Raceday Committee for their time and effort in making the day happen. This figure exceeds all expectations and I’ve no doubt that the legacy of this day will bring in further contributions for a long time to come.”
Anyone who wishes to contribute to the Fund can visit www.limerickcharityraceday.ie to make a donation.
