TCAAF Surf & Turf Night Raises $36,000
APPROXIMATELY $36,000 DONATED TO TURKS & CAICOS AIDS AWARENESS FOUNDATION (TCAAF) FROM “SURF & TURF” CHARITY HORSERACING NIGHT
Monday, November 23, 2015 – The annual “Surf & Turf” fundraising event, sponsored by PWC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) and Opus, resulted in approximately $36,000 being donated to the Turks & Caicos AIDS Awareness Foundation (TCAAF).
A wide cross-section of the local community came out for a fun and unique event where guests enjoyed family style dinner, complimentary wine and had a chance to make money by betting on pre-taped horse races that were announced live by Mr. Larry Collmus, voice of the Triple Crown and new voice of New York Racing Association. The evening culminated with a Calcutta style auction of horses with the winning bids combined to form the payout for Win, Place and Show and the owners naming their horses. This year the champion’s trophy was awarded to Galmo Williams whose horse “Bambam” beat out “Daxie’s Cummin” owned by HAB Group and “Ghostface” owned by Tony Garland to take the top spot. All three winners that placed donated their winnings back, making the TCAAF the biggest winner of all.
“We can’t express our gratitude and appreciation enough to the PWC family, sponsors, volunteers and the participants of this event,” said Galmo Williams, Patron of the TCAAF. “It was a fantastic charity event and fun was had by all in attendance.” All proceeds from the “Surf & Turf” will go to fund the TCAAF and the Programs at the Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre in Downtown, Providenciales. The Centre has been in operation for over 6 years now and has seen over 1600 children pass through its doors. The Youth Centre lets us reach a key demographic to increase awareness and education – not only about HIV/AIDS but about all kinds of life skills while also providing them with a safe, fun environment to meet friends, receive counseling and develop new skills.
The last race of the evening, the “Turks & Caicos Derby” sponsored by PWC gave top bidders the chance to buy their own race horse. Everyone got caught up in the spirit of giving and many people donated their winnings from the races back to the charity. A percentage of all bets made during the evening as well as the funds from ticket sales were donated to the TCAAF.
In addition to the headline sponsors, the Wine Cellar and Hemingways donated prizes and several bottles of wine which were enjoyed by guests and the following companies purchased tables and/or races: Bordier International Bank, HAB Group, Olympic Construction, Miller Simons O’Sullivan, PWC, Scotiabank, Seven Stars, Gilley’s Enterprise, The Claymore Group, Herzog Caribbean, British Caribbean Bank, RBC, Forbes & Forbes Ltd. and Casablanca Casino.
About the TCAAF
The TCAAF is an independent, non-profit organization formed in 2003 to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Turks and Caicos Islands and its rippling, negative effects on the community through increased education and awareness. The TCAAF dedicates its time to fundraising efforts to implement informative and fun programs that engage young people and dispel myths about HIV/AIDS. The flagship project of the TCAAF is currently the Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre. To support the organization, please call 333-4752 for details.