ANDERSON, Ind. —
The Anderson Center for the Arts is betting that its annual Night at the Races will be a big hit.
The event is not only the center’s biggest fundraiser of the year, it is also a great time, executive director Deb Stapleton said.
“This is a great time for people to come down right after work and let loose and have a nice, comfortable evening,” she said. “You can’t go wrong watching adults run a race with six-foot tall hobby horses.”
The event begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, at the center, 32 W. 10th St.
In coming up with Night at the Races, event planners wanted to play on one of the community’s strong suits, something Anderson can relate to — racing.
There are 12 horses — each named after an Indiana or Kentucky derby winner and sponsored by local businesses and organizations — decorated and up for auction at the beginning of the event.
The winning bidder chooses who will jockey the six-foot tall decorated stick horse during the “race,” Stapleton explained. There are three races with six horses in each race where two dice determine which horse moves and how far the horse will go.
In each of the first two races there will be a win, place and show horse — first, second and third — and those three winners from the first two races face off in the third and final race to determine the overall winner.
In addition to the auction, there will be a variety of items on the block in a silent auction throughout the night. Items that will be auctioned include personal chef services, painting services, professional picture installation services, a commissioned art piece, a plane ride to Eagle Creek, autographed sports memorabilia, a set of Ping golf clubs, amusement park tickets and an autographed jersey by the 2011 NFL most valuable player Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rogers.
Stapleton said with a budget of nearly $400,000 a year, the center counts on this fundraiser to keep itself going. She pointed out that maintaining the historic building — the 1904 former Carnegie Library — is costly. For example, it takes 120 light bulbs costing $9 each to light just the dome of the building, Stapleton said.
“In addition to being a historic site, we are an arts center and art museum offering all kinds of arts-related activities and outreaches for the community,” she said. “This event is a great way to support those efforts and have a great time and spend time with others in the community.”
Doors open at 6 p.m. Feb. 24 for the h’ordeuvres dinner at the downtown arts center. Tickets — $35 a person or $250 for a table of eight — are available now by calling 649-1248 or by e-mailing Stapleton at dstapleton.taca@sbcglobal.net.
Contact Abbey Doyle: 640-4805, abbey.doyle@heraldbulletin.com
Community
Related Photos
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Committee members Rick Moore, Marie Brazel, David Williams, and Bill Beeler mount their horses as they prepare for the Anderson Center for the Arts annual Night at the Races. John P. Cleary
Discussion
And they're off!
Night at the Races is art center's biggest fundraiser
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