Sunday, May 30, 2010

Elmont 2010 Belmont Stakes Festival Parade












NYRA Sponsors the Elmont 2010 Belmont Stakes Parade to Kick-Off the Belmont Stakes Festival Week

NYRA sponsored the Elmont 2010 Belmont Stakes parade along with partners from the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, Elmont Chamber of Commerce, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, American Legion,Elmont UFSD, and the many civic associations in the community. Rosario Fuschetto, owner of King Umberto's Restaurant in Elmont, served as the parade Grand Marshall. He was awarded a Key to Elmont by NYRA President and CEO, Charles Hayward.

Friday, May 28, 2010

NYRA's Director of Community Relations Speaks at the Nassau Council of Chambers Breakfast

I was pleased to represent NYRA as a guest speaker at the Nassau Council of Chambers monthly breakfast on May 27th. I provided the representatives of over 15 Chambers of Commerce with information about the history of throughbred racing in New York, background on Belmont Park, the upcoming Belmont Stakes and ideas for enhancing their business through events at the track. I was honored to present materials to this distinguished group.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

NYRA's Top Executives Speak at The University Club in New York

NYRA's President and CEO, Charles Hayward spoke to the members of The University Club in New York City on May 26th about the importance of NYRA's business to New York State and the local communities surrounding Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course. Guests enjoyed a power point presentation of the history of Belmont Park with highlights of Triple Crown races provided by Dan Silver, NYRA's Director of Communications and Media Relations. Tom Durkin, NYRA's track announcer and Voice of the Triple Crown, amused the crowd with his favorite race calls and stories about his career.

NYRA participates in Career Day at PS 189 in Brooklyn







NYRA's Assistant General Counsel, Pasquale Viscusi, represented NYRA at career day at PS 189 in Brooklyn on May 26th. Viscusi wowed the crowd with stories about his many years with NYRA and the diverse career he has had with the company. NYRA was proud to support this important community activity!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Elmont to Host 2010 Belmont Stakes Parade

The Elmont community will host the 2010 Belmont Stakes parade on Saturday, May 29th at 10 a.m. The parade route will begin at Belmont Park and head east along Hempstead Turnpike to the Alva T. Stanforth Sports Complex, 700 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont. State and local officials will join NYRA President and CEO, Charles E. Hayward, for this exciting event to kick-off the Belmont Stakes Festival Week! The parade will include: Disney horses, a Bleriot single engine plane (compliments of the Cradle of Aviation Museum,) Soaring Sam (Cradle of Aviation mascot,) marching bands, NYRA Starting gate, Ronald McDonald and much more!! Don't miss the parade which will be followed by the family field day to benefit Gateway Youth Outreach of Elmont.

NYRA was proud to sponsor the 2010 St. Clement's Horse Show at Saratoga Race Course



NYRA was proud to sponsor the 2010 St. Clement's Horse Show at Saratoga Race Course. The David B. Wood Cup Grand Prix winner was No Worries, ridden by Devin Ryan and owned by Barbara Rowland. The prize was $25,000! The presenters were Maureen LaBelle, President of the St. Clement's Horse Show; Charles Wheeler, NYRA Manager of Planning and Community Relations; Father Paul Browski, Pastor of St. Clement's parish, and Jane E. Kromm, Principal of St. Clement's Elementary School.
The St. Clement's Horse Show is approved by the USEF and is the first outdoor show of the season in the Northeast.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Garden City and Floral Park Welcome Return of Annual Belmont Festival

Garden City and Floral Park will take to the streets to celebrate the final leg of the Triple Crown with the return of the perennially popular Belmont Festival. Belmont Festival chairs for the villages of Garden City and Floral Park today announced that the annual celebrations held in honor of the Belmont Stakes will be held on Friday, June 4.

Both festivals will take place on the eve of the 142nd running of the Belmont Stakes, which marks the third and final leg of the Triple Crown.

“We are thrilled to host the Belmont Festival once again and appreciate the continuing support of civic, business, community leaders and local residents,” said Mary Dolan Grippo, chairwoman of the Garden City Belmont Festival. “This festival has become a great way for the community to celebrate one of the world’s premier sporting events - the running of the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown.”

Garden City Belmont Festival

The Garden City Belmont Festival will take place on Seventh Street from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and will feature exciting entertainment, live music, family friendly activities, and a chicken wing throwdown.

The Garden City festival will be a flavorful affair featuring a “Wing Off” chicken wing competition from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. during which local restaurants will compete to be named Garden City’s chicken wing champion. Four restaurants are currently confirmed to take part in the competition: Uptown Grille, J.P. McGeevers, Murphy’s, and Walk Street. The winner of the Wing Off will be announced at 9:30 p.m.

Judges will be plucked from the general public as any passerby can get in on the action for $8, which includes a plate of wings and a ballot. All proceeds benefit the Mollie Biggane Melanoma Foundation, named for a Garden City resident who died from melanoma at the age of 20. Local restaurants wishing to participate should contact Tim Peeples at 516-459-3740.

The United States Air Force Band of Liberty rock band Afterburner will headline this year’s Garden City festival. Local bands will also take to the stage to entertain the festival goers.

Garden City children will have the opportunity to show their love of horse racing by taking part in a children’s poster contest. Participants in the children’s poster contest must be residents of Garden City who are currently enrolled in grades K - 6. Children are encouraged to submit images of thoroughbred racing on heavy white poster paper, sized 16”x 20”.

Students must print their name, age, grade and school on back of the artwork. Deadline for entry is Saturday, May 26 at 5 p.m. at Sunflower Fine Art Gallery, located at 172 Seventh Street in Garden City. All entries must be dropped off in person. The top three winners will be awarded cash prizes from Sunflower Fine Art and their names will appear in the local papers.

All artwork submitted by the deadline will be displayed in store windows along Seventh Street and Franklin Avenue. Designated locations of each child’s artwork will be posted on www.sunflowerfineart.com/events beginning on June 1.

The Garden City Belmont Festival will also feature family-friendly activities including clowns, street performers, face painters, bounce rides, the Belmont Park starting gate and Sammy the Bugler, who is renowned for his talented and spirited “Call to the Post” prior to the start of each thoroughbred race at Belmont Park.

The Garden City Belmont Festival is sponsored by Garden City Hotel; the Village of Garden City; and the New York Racing Association (NYRA).

For more information about the Garden City Belmont Festival, or to participate in any of its events, contact Mary Dolan Grippo at 516-571-1936 or via email at mgrippo@nassauida.org.

Floral Park Belmont Festival


The Floral Park Belmont Festival will also take place Friday, June 4 on Tulip Avenue from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The street festival will feature live music from three bands,
traditional Irish dance performances, bounce rides, face painters, and other family-friendly activities.

Additionally, festival goers will get a taste of Floral Park when a bevy of Floral Park’s restaurants and eateries line the streets to offer culinary samples and tastings.

The Floral Park Belmont Festival is sponsored by the Floral Park Chamber of Commerce and the New York Racing Association.

For more information about the Floral Park Belmont Festival, or to participate in any of its events, contact Kathleen Duggan at 516-512-0459.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. will provide fans with regular updates on the third jewel of racing’s Triple Crown on the official Twitter page of the Belmont Stakes, located at Twitter.com/BelmontStakes.

The site is updated throughout the day whenever a news item, blog post, video or podcast is uploaded to the official website of the race, BelmontStakes.com. NYRA will also regularly update the page leading up to the 142nd running of the Grade 1, $1 million “Test of the Champion” on June 5.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

NYRA President and CEO, Charles E. Hayward, Honored by the Elmont Chamber of Commerce





The Elmont Chamber of Commerce honored NYRA President and CEO, Charles E. Hayward, at their annual Networking Reception on May 4, 2010. Mr. Hayward was recognized for his leadership in assisting with the establishment of a Business Improvement District and for his support and contributions to the community for their many programs.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

NYRA to receive the National Community Action Award from the Saratoga Economic Opportunity Council, Inc.





The National Community Action Award recognizes individuals and organizations at the local level who have demonstrated outstanding service to low income families and communities. The New York Racing Association, Inc. ("NYRA") is proud to receive this award for assisting the EOC's Latino Community Advocacy Program which is widely recognized throughout Saratoga County.

NYRA is to be presented with this award at Community Action Breakfast on May 21st and we wish to thank the Saratoga EOC for this great honor.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Help Wanted For Belmont Stakes Day, Saturday, June 5



Saturday, June 5, is Belmont Stakes Day and The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will be hiring whitecaps, parking staff and cleaning staff to make it the most exciting and enjoyable day of racing in New York.

On Saturday, May 8, NYRA will be conducting interviews from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the Marquee Tent at Belmont Park, 2150 Hempstead Tpk., Elmont. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age with working papers and have with them two forms of identification (I-9 appropriate).

For more information, contact Human Resources at (718) 659-3500 or e-mail belmontjobs@nyrainc.com.

NYRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.