Trainer Gives Back To Community

Former racetrack owner Charles Juravinski has made a positive impact in the horse racing industry landing him an induction into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall Of Fame this summer. But it’s his philanthropic endeavours that have had the greatest impact on one horseman.

Looking to emulate Juravinski’s generousity, trainer Dean Nixon will begin his own philanthropic quest this month. The 40-year-old resident of Hamilton, Ont. will begin a fundraising campaign running from September to October for the McMaster Children’s Hospital, one of Canada’s leading pediatric health care facilities and the regional referral centre for the approximately 600,000 children that reside in south-central Ontario.

“I have been inspired by Charles Juravinski's efforts as a philanthropist to try and do something positive for my community,” Nixon told Trot Insider. “I feel that now is the time because if purses are reduced, there won’t be much room financially to donate.

“My personal goal is to be able to donate $5,000 through my five per cent commissions during the months of September and October," he continued. "This is a lofty goal, but one worth working towards.”

Nixon has also set a goal to raise $20,000 in contributions from outside sources by the end of the campaign.

“I would like to send a challenge out to my fellow industry participants to contact McMaster Children's Hospital and make a contribution," said Nixon. "I am hoping to inspire other trainers, drivers, owners, racetrack employees, feed salesmen, trades people and the like to join me in this effort to show our community we are about more than taking money from slot machines. That we are people too. People with families, husbands, wives, and children, all who share many common problems such as matters of health.”

The campaign is being monitored by the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation.

“We’re excited to join forces with Dean for this initiative and hope that his horses are successful this fall!” said Parker Neale, Development Officer at Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation. “We are very grateful to Dean for establishing this fundraising program.”

McMaster Children’s Hospital is currently undergoing renovations to improve its resources. Construction commenced on the facility’s new pediatric emergency department during the summer of 2010 and will be complete later this year. This will allow the hospital to for 40,000 children from the local community with acute needs each year, approximately twice as many children as it saw prior to the renovation.

The ophthalmology (eye) clinic is also being expanded and renovated this year. It receives approximately 13,000 patient visits annually. The existing clinic was originally designed for adults decades ago. Aging equipment and inadequate infrastructure will be redeveloped into a leading edge facility with a family and child centered environment that will be a resource to the region and the province.