The Iroquois Steeplechase recently made its annual contribution to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt with proceeds raised through the past year’s celebration of the event’s 75th anniversary.
Members of the Steeplechase staff — Executive Director Libby Cheek, Director of Sponsorship & Business Development GeorgeAnn Dingus, and Account Administration Specialist Jenny Streams — presented a check for $144,764 to Dr. Meg Rush, former Honorary Chair of the Iroquois Steeplechase and Chief of Staff and Executive Medical Director at Children’s Hospital, and Beth Moore, Director of Community Development at Children’s Hospital, in front of the hospital’s butterfly wall.
“Due to the Iroquois Steeplechase’s ongoing enthusiastic support of Children’s Hospital, our long-standing relationship with them continues to flourish,” Rush said. “We so appreciate this partnership and look forward to it continuing for many years to come.”
The Iroquois Steeplechase, run by the nonprofit 501c3 organization the Volunteer State Horsemen’s Foundation, has raised approximately $10 million in support of Children’s Hospital since it was designated the event’s primary beneficiary in 1981. The partnership — which was ignited by a strong relationship between members of the hospital’s Board of Directors and the Volunteer State Horsemen’s Foundation — continues 35 years later as a crucial aspect of the Iroquois Steeplechase, and its annual donation serves to advance research efforts, support endowments and promote the work of Children’s Hospital.
Along with the monetary contribution, the Iroquois Steeplechase staff also donated several stick horses provided by Phillips Toy Mart to the hospital for its patients, toys that are symbolic of the close relationship between the two organizations. A favorite tradition at Iroquois Steeplechase is the annual Michael Stanley Stick Horse Race, named for a former patient at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and Honorary Child Ambassador for the event, in which children of all ages participate for a chance to win a gift card from Phillips Toy Mart.
Always held the second Saturday in May, the 2017 Iroquois Steeplechase will be May 13 at Percy Warner Park in Nashville. Information about pre-race events, sponsorships and tickets are available online at www.iroquoissteeplechase.org.
