Thanks to a remarkable turnout and everyone bringing so much excitement and energy, the Friends’ first ever Race Night, held at Eastbourne Borough Football Club on Friday May 12, galloped its way to a glorious fundraising total of over £1,150.
Comprising eight exciting horse races, all shown on screen to the crowd, and all with tantalisingly close finishes, our race-goers placed bets and bought horses throughout the night, with the owner of each winning horse taking a prize away for its win. For a final, light-hearted touch, the evening ended with a pig race, the entrants of which were all auctioned off before the race and sold to their highest bidder. The successful owner went on to win two bottles of fizz and a voucher to spend at J. Heath & Son, the family butcher who sponsored the pig race.
Thanks go to all race sponsors. These were Ian Price of WES, Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce, Sussex Legal Consultants, Tansleys Printers, Cathy Lock, Blackmore Business Solutions, LED-UK, ABC Drains and as previously mentioned, J. Heath & Son Family Butchers.
Thanks also go to Unibet.com and Brighton Racecourse who provided the star prize for the evening’s raffle – four tickets to Gentlemen’s Day at Brighton Racecourse.
The evening quite simply could not have happened without the support of Peter Hay who combined laptop, projector, screen and speaker to bring the races to the room; Ben Colley, our compere extraordinaire; and the incredible team from the Friends of Conquest Hospital who gave up their evening to tirelessly man our betting desk throughout the night and ensure the event went as smoothly as it did. We were so pleased to have their support, and in turn, hope to be able to return the favour in some way.
The generous donations, enthusiastic attendees, and hardworking volunteers all played a crucial role in the evening’s success.
The amount raised will go towards the Friends’ major fundraising project of 2023, which is to provide equipment to the expanding cardiology department at the DGH.
