This has been a tough year for the Dayton area as tornados caused massive destruction on Memorial Day. Then in early August a gunman killed nine people in the historic Oregon District. The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association, Dayton Firefighters Local 136 and Dayton Raceway have teamed to help relieve the area with a toy drive to benefit the children of the Dayton area.
“With everything that has happened to the Dayton area this past year we want to make sure as many children as possible have a Merry Christmas” said Brett Merkle the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association (OHHA) Track Representative.
Boxes of toys and cash were loaded into a Dayton Fire Department ambulance at Dayton Raceway Tuesday afternoon to be distributed to the children.
Paramedic and Director of Special Events for Dayton Firefighters Local 136 Krista Tabor says they have been doing the toy drive for about 10 years. “We appreciate the generosity of the horsemen at Dayton Raceway. It gives us the opportunity to help families across the city of Dayton that are less fortunate and allows them to have a Merry Christmas.”
The OHHA is a non-profit organization serving Standardbred horse owners, breeders, trainers, drivers and fans who participate in the sport of harness racing in the Buckeye State.
OHHA was founded in 1953. The mission of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association is to preserve, protect, promote and serve the entire Standardbred industry in Ohio and beyond.
(OHHA)