Old Friends Overwhelmed With Generosity - April 27, 2020
Times have been tough for everyone lately, but horse lovers are still finding ways to show their generous spirit in Georgetown/Scott County and giving to a great cause.
Since social distancing has been put in place, Old Friends has had to close their farm to visitors and cancel all of the events they had planned for their opening season. But when they tried to refund everyone who bought tickets in advance, they were surprised to find that over 70 percent wanted them to keep their money.
For an organization that runs almost completely off of charitable giving, these donations are what allow them to continue to take care of all the retired racehorses who call Georgetown their home.
And the giving didn’t stop there! Mailed in donations are on the rise, face masks were donated to farm staff and bags of carrots were even dropped off for the horses to snack on. Not to mention the veterinary services that have been provided free of charge by the Kentucky Horse Park and local vets.
Michael Blowen, the President & Founder of Old Friends, happily reported that they have been able to continue their operations as usual thanks to the many generous donations they have received and can’t wait to open back up for visitors.
“We’re all doing great and it hasn’t been anything but quiet,” Said Blowen. “It’s a lot of fun to play with the horses but we really do miss the people”
Old Friends provides homes to many retired racehorses, who may not have otherwise received the quality of care they deserve after their racing careers were over. It is the home to several Kentucky Derby Champions and hopes to shine a brighter light on the horse racing industry.
For more information about Old Friends, you can visit their website at oldfriendsequine.org or reach out them on Facebook by clicking here. You can support Old Friends directly through their Go Fund Me page here.