NEWS
Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund now public charity
Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2009 5:44 PM
The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund has began operating as a 501c(3) public charity.
Nancy LaSala will serve as executive director of the organization, which provides financial support for riders who are permanently disabled as the result of catastrophic injuries sustained while competing at tracks in the United States.
The fund was established in 2006, and has paid out more than $1.8-million to riders.
Funds for disabled riders were previously raised and disbursed through the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Charities—Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. The NTRA Charities—Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund will be closed, and all contributions will be directed to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
“We are grateful to NTRA Charities for its efforts on behalf of the PDJF and the riders it serves,” LaSala said. “This is a challenging time for charities, but members of the horse racing community and racing fans have demonstrated time and again their generous support for disabled riders. We will continue to work with the industry and to seek new avenues of funding for PDJF.”
LaSala will be joined on the fund’s board of directors by racetrack representatives Robert Bork of Sam Houston Race Park and Steve Sexton of Churchill Downs Inc., jockey representatives Jackie Fires and Jon Court, horsemen’s representative Joseph Santanna of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, and independent director Peggy Hendershot of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association/NTRA charities.
All contributions to the fund are tax deductible and may be mailed to P.O. Box 803, Elmhurst, Illinois, 60126.
For information of programs offered by the fund and eligibility, contact LaSala at (630) 595-7660.
