For more than a decade, Fun For Fans has been living up to its name.
A successful charitable initiative in Alberta, Fun For Fans was created back in 2010 as Hall of Fame breeder Bill Andrew and Fred Gillis, executive director of the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association, were looking for a way to connect horse racing with the community.
"Any other sport that I've been associated with, they're always building with the community, they're building with youth," said Andrew in a video feature produced by Shinelight and Horse Racing Alberta. "Fred and I looked for a way that we could connect with the community and what we came up with was to have a horse race and give the winnings to charity."
That idea has since turned into a successful enterprise with the Fun For Fans stable raising more than $250,000 for Alberta charities, including Perky In Pink, Stollery Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, Lacombe Fire Department and Olds Mountain View Emergency Shelter.
Gillis, the driving force behind the charity stable, has worked with Alberta's horse racing participants Connie Kolthammer and Rod and Jackie Starkewski to help make the initiative a success featuring horses like Starring Role, Outlawburntpopcorn and the stable's current star Outlaw Blue Isle.
"The money aspect is great, but it exposes people to the Standardbred industry in a different way," noted Gillis. "Just come for the pure enjoyment of watching their horse race and cheering for it."