Opening the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and industry honours, the Monticello-Goshen Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) made its annual donation to the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 7.
Museum executive committee chairman Larry DeVan and executive director Janet Terhune were pleased to accept the donation from chapter president Chris Tully and vice president-treasurer Shawn Wiles.
DeVan noted, “We are all very grateful to the local harness writers for their long-standing support and commitment to the Harness Racing Museum.”
The annual donation of $4,000 USD is made possible by the success of the chapter’s year-end awards banquet.
Tully said at the induction ceremonies, “It is only through the generosity of our loyal advertisers, patrons and local banquet guests that we can continue to support two of the most important and beloved facilities in all of Standardbred sport.”
In addition to other efforts, a successful banquet and souvenir journal are the primary fundraising mechanism which allows the benevolent organization to make annual donations to both Goshen Historic Track and the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, two separate and distinct entities that share the same hallowed ground and a mutual purpose of preserving and promoting harness racing.
The practice of raising money and donating funds to Historic Track and the Hall of Fame began in the mid-1970s with Monticello Raceway publicity icon John Manzi, and has continued ever since. In just the last 20 years, the local Monticello-Goshen chapter has donated well over $130,000 USD to these important industry preservationists.
This year’s Monticello-Goshen USHWA awards banquet will be the chapter’s 65th annual event and is being held at the Wallkill Golf Club on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, with plans under way to incorporate and include the presentation of the annual New York Sire Stakes awards.
(USHWA; cutline: Chris Tully (R) & Shawn Wiles (L) present a cheque for $4,000 to the Harness Racing Museum’s Janet Terhune and Larry DeVan)