Wednesday, January 27, 2010 – The fifth annual Turf and Surf fundraising event, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Beaches Resort and Spa, resulted in $58,500 being donated to the Turks & Caicos AIDS Awareness Foundation (TCAAF) for use at the Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre.
A wide cross-section of the local community came out for a fun and unique event where guests had a chance to make money by betting on pre-taped horse races that were announced live by internationally-renowned horseracing commentator and Kentucky Derby announcer, Mr. Mark Johnson. The evening culminated with a calcutta-like auction of horses with the winning bids combined to form the payout for Win, Place and Show and the owners naming their horses. This year the champion’s trophy was awarded to Ed and Carol Gartland whose horse, Carol’s Surprise beat out Behind Glass Shack owned by Bordier International Bank and Trust and The Guv’nor owned by the HAB Group to take the top spot. All three winners that placed donated their winnings back, making the TCAAF the biggest winner of all.
“We can’t express our gratitude and appreciation enough to the organizers, sponsors and participants of this event,” said Toni Sottak, chairman of the TCAAF. “The TCAAF relies on these funds to support the Edward C. Garland Youth Centre in downtown Providenciales, which currently has almost 600 members between the ages of 12-18. The Youth Centre lets us reach a key demographic to increase awareness and education – not only about HIV/AIDS but about all kinds of life skills while also providing them with a safe, fun environment to meet friends, receive counseling and developing new skills and hobbies. Most recently we’ve been able to use the centre to help kids cope with the devastation in Haiti.”
The last race of the evening - Turks & Caicos Derby - gave top bidders the chance to buy their own race horse. All winners received bottles of champagne, courtesy of The Wine Cellar. The first, second and third place winners received cash and a bottle of champagne, with the first place winner getting the silver cup trophy for a year and a Blackberry from Digicel. Everyone got caught up in the spirit of giving, even well after the check was presented to the TCAAF. Many people donated the winnings from the final race back to the charity and some even made separate cash donations after the event!
A percentage of all bets made during the evening as well as the funds from ticket sales were donated to the TCAAF. Cumulatively, this single event has resulted in more than $240,000 being donated to the TCAAF over the last five years.
In addition to the headline sponsors, Digicel and the Wine Cellar donated prizes and the following companies purchased tables and/or races: The HAB Group, Miller Simons O’Sullivan, Bordier International Bank and Trust Ltd, Carib Gaming, The Regent Village, Hemmingway’s, McCollum & Newlands, Misick & Stanbrook, Projetech, Scotiabank, Seven Stars, The Hartling Group, Turquoise Construction, Tranquility Realty, The Wine Cellar, Wired Island, WIV.
The Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre
The mission of the Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre is to empower teenagers with the information, skills and confidence they need to cope with the challenges of daily life. Located in the downtown area of Providenciales, the Youth Centre is a non-profit, non-governmental venture which supports people between the ages of 12-18 in academics, sports and the arts while also providing life skills and options to lead a healthy lifestyle. The Centre is open from 2-6 Mondays through Fridays and 10-6 on Saturdays. More information can be found at:
www.tciyouthcentre.tc or by calling 331-9602.
About the TCAAF
The TCAAF is an independent, non-profit organization formed in 2003 to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Turks and Caicos Islands though increased education and awareness. The TCAAF focuses fundraising efforts and implementing informative and fun programs that engage young people and dispel myths about HIV/AIDS. The flagship project of the TCAAF is the Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre. Individual memberships are $100, corporate memberships are $500, please see
www.aidsawareness.tc for more information.
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