SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – On Saturday, May 2, Edgar May members and friends rolled up to the Hartness House in their best hats and attire for an evening of Kentucky Derby-themed socializing and community fundraising. This first-ever event included casino games and activities, a Calcutta auction, catering by Brownsville Butcher & Pantry, and fantastic prizes graciously donated by area businesses and organizations.
Thanks to the generosity of our partygoers, the Edgar May raised more than $7,000 for our 2026 Annual Campaign. These funds allow seniors, youth, and families to access health and wellness resources and programming at the Edgar May regardless of financial circumstances.
“This event brought our community together in an incredible way,” said Christian Craig, executive director of the Edgar May Health and Recreation Center. “We are deeply grateful to our sponsors, volunteers, and attendees for helping make our first Kentucky Derby party such a success and for supporting the Edgar May’s mission and programs.”
The evening started with casino games including blackjack, roulette, craps, Wheel of Fortune, and a human slot machine. Volunteers from the Stingrays swim team and the Edgar May community kept the games running smoothly. Prior to the Kentucky Derby, Craig called the Calcutta auction, where each of the 19 horses – The Puma scratched ahead of the auction – were “sold” to the highest bidder. The people who “owned” the first, second, and third place horses would receive a portion of the pot.
When it came time for the 152nd Kentucky Derby race, everyone gathered to cheer for their favorite horses. With odds of 30 to 1, Golden Tempo pulled ahead to win, Renegade came in second, and Ocelli came in third. The Calcutta winner, Trish Conway, of Boston, who bid on Golden Tempo, donated her portion of the prize pool, $912, back to the Edgar May Annual Campaign. Bob Kendall, dressed as Renegade’s jockey, won the Best Dressed contest, and Debra Cox won Best Hat.
The Kentucky Derby & Casino Night was made possible by the support of our premiere Win Sponsors Lamb & McNaughton PC, Rick Bibens, and VTel; Place Sponsors Bibens Ace Hardware, Lincoln Street Inc., and Peraza Dermatology Group; Show Sponsors Black River Produce, Ruth and Ted Cody, ImageTek, the Springfield Lions Club, Red House Press Corp., Springfield Cadillac GMC, and the Springfield Telescope Makers; signature cocktail menu sponsor Springfield Rotary Club, and casino table sponsors Emerson General Contracting and Roofing, and The Dance Factory.
Silent-auction prizes were graciously donated by Betsy Lirakis, Black Rock Steakhouse, Carol Geise, Crown Point Country Club, Dartmouth College Athletics, Gallery at the Vault, Inn at Weathersfield, Jake’s Market and Deli, Joy Regan, Maple in Vermont, McDonald’s, Montshire Museum of Science, NAPA Auto Parts, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Purrmont Cat Café, Riverside Restaurant, Ryan’s Service Center, Simon Pearce, Six Loose Ladies, Springfield Cinemas 3, Springfield Food Co-op, Tina’s Hallmark, Vermont Lake Monsters, Vermont Raised Heritage Meats, Wellwood Orchards, WhistlePig, Willow Farm Pet Store, and Woodbury Florists.