Lis Mara Syndicate To Aid Haiti Victims

The Lis Mara Syndicate has announced an initiative to help bring dignity to families that are suffering through the trauma of the earthquake that ravaged the already impoverished country of Haiti and, in particular, the city of Port au Prince

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As you may be aware, World Champion Lis Mara, through his victories in the Breeders Crown, two Canadian Pacing Derbies, and numerous other stakes races, has built 20 houses for homeless families in Haiti. Actually, a street in Haiti has been named Lis Mara Drive in honour of this standardbred champion.

Food For The Poor, a charity in the U.S., which arranged for the building of these homes with the better part of $100,000 donated to this cause, reported today that, amazingly, none of the 20 houses built by Lis Mara have been affected by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

As you have also seen in televised reports, people who died in Port au Prince are being buried in mass graves in many cases. Family members who are left behind have nowhere to live.

Food For the Poor and the Lis Mara Syndicate are announcing a program to immediately build additional housing and to fund the building of that housing with donations from breeders and certain Lis Mara syndicate members.

Specifically, if you book a mare to Lis Mara in 2010 and you make a contribution in the amount of $500 with that check being written directly to Food For The Poor, there will be a second $500 contribution made immediately from Deo Volente Farms on each the first 50 breedings.

The resulting contribution to Food for the Poor will be $1,000 for each booked breeding. Each $5,200 will build one duplex unit for two families. And, Food for the Poor has committed to building these houses within 30 days.

Both the breeder’s contribution and the matching contribution will be deducted from the $6,000 live foal stud fee when the mare delivers in 2011. The resulting stud fee will be $5,000, or a $1,000 reduction in the fee.

This program is being offered as a way for the standardbred industry to help in the massive relief effort and to help Lis Mara continue, now and in the future, to provide charitable contributions to people in dire need.

For additional details, contact Kentuckiana Farms (502-863-3070), Ken Jackson (859-335-0928), Deo Volente Farms (908-782-4848), or Mike Gulotta (908-391-6317).

(Kentuckiana Farms)