Community Day News

Community Days at Hastings Racecourse a boost to nine neighbourhood groups

Vancouver, B.C. (April 10/08) -- Hastings Racecourse has awarded eight Community Days at the Track to nine Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood organizations for the 2008 live racing season.

Living up to its community commitments, Hastings agreed to increase the number of Community Days to eight a year when Vancouver City Council approved Hastings’ application for slot machines.

“We were pleased to receive over 20 applications from a wide variety of groups,” said Raj Mutti, General Manager at Hastings Racecourse. “Once the deadline had been reached our committee evaluated the applicants and contacted the nine groups to let them know the good news.”

Each group awarded a Community Day at the Track receives the exclusive use of the Marquee Tent area at Hastings Racecourse on a live race day, a food and beverage donation of $1,500, a direct donation of $5,000, a silent auction item and the ability to raise funds by selling tickets to their Community Day.

The nine groups awarded the eight Community Days from applications placed in the Vancouver Courier, on the Hastings Racecourse website and mailed out to the local community include: CirKids, Cross Town Slo-Pitch League, Franklin Community School, Hastings Tillicum School, Hastings Sunrise Community Police Centre, The Kettle Friendship Society, Kiwassa Neighbourhood House, Variety The Children’s Charity and Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

Franklin Community School and Hastings Tillicum School were offered the opportunity to share a Community Day as both wanted to put the money raised towards new playgrounds and both are located in the Hastings Sunrise area.

“We only had one Community Day left to award so we decided to ask the schools if they would be agreeable to sharing,” Mutti said. “They were eager to share the event and split the donations.

The basic criteria agreed upon by the City of Vancouver and Hastings Racecourse for the awarding of Community Days stipulated the groups must be registered non-profit societies in the northeast section of the City; groups must provide services that are open and available to the general public in the areas of social services, arts, cultural education, sports and recreation; groups cannot be religious, political, clubs (meaning night clubs), private businesses or the PNE.

“The list of Community Days with dates and times will be posted on our Hastings Racecourse website,” Mutti said. “Those applicants not accepted this year are invited to apply again next year.”

For media & entertainment inquiries: Howard Blank, Vice President of Media, Entertainment and Responsible Gaming Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, 604.512.6066. For racing related inquiries contact: Raj Mutti, General Manager, Hastings Racecourse 604.251.0445