Thanks to the unbelievable support for the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society (OSAS), Team Dan Plesac and Captain Crunch, OSAS was named the winner of the 2019 Breeders Crown Charity Challenge on Friday night (Oct. 25) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The announcement was made in the winner’s circle at Mohawk with OSAS administrator and events co-ordinator Joanne Colville accepting the honour and the cheque for $100,800 on behalf of the organization.
“We can’t thank Dan Plesac enough for selecting OSAS as his charity in this challenge," said Colville. "We are honoured and humbled to be the only equine charity involved and these funds will go a long way to helping and homing many Standardbreds.
“I also want to acknowledge all of the people who voted for OSAS regularly. From the moment the contest was announced back in June, our supporters were voting on a daily basis. I also want to sincerely thank my mother (Gerry De Bresser-Colville), who has encouraged voters every single day for the past four months. Her daily reminders made a huge difference.”
The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society is very thankful to Al Libfeld and Marvin Katz, who facilitated this initiative, and to everyone at Woodbine Entertainment who worked so hard to ensure it was contested professionally. OSAS would like to thank its equine partner Captain Crunch, his trainer Nancy Johansson and his owners for their constant support throughout this process. OSAS would also like to wish him the best of luck in his Breeders Crown final tomorrow night.
The other charities, their celebrity and horse partner, in order of finish, were:
Breast Cancer Society of Canada – Kim MacDonald – Woodside Charm
Pinball Clemons Foundation – Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons – Warrawee Ubeaut
Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation – Eddie Olczyk – Gimpanzee
(With files from OSAS)