Quota of Wayne County Night at the Races is March 4
Billed as a "high energy evening of interactive video horse races, with opportunities to support a local nonprofit that keeps all funds within in the county,” Quota of Wayne County's Night at the Races will he held this Saturday at the American Legion Post 68 in Wooster.
What’s better than playing the ponies? Playing the video ponies for a great cause with a few hundred people.
Quota of Wayne County offers a chance to do just that, holding its annual Night at the Races, billed as an “Adult-only evening of food, fun and virtual horse racing.” You don’t have to go to the track to place a few bets and help raise some money for area charities.
The Night at the Races will be tonight at the American Legion Post 68 at 1901 Sylvan Road in Wooster. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a buffet dinner from 6-7. The first race is set of 7. There will be cash bar with beer and wine and everyone can expect to have a lot of fun.
The event will feature 10 video horse races hosted by a live commentator (Think "And down the stretch they come!") and folks can bet on the horses prior to each race, just like at the real track. Unlike the real track, people had a chance to buy horses, name them and will be able to watch their horses race, with prizes going to the winning horses (winners must be present).
Prior to the final race, an auction will take place and all entrants in that last race will be purchased on-site. So anyone who decides to go at the last minute will still have a chance to buy a horse.
“I would put it this way: It is a high energy evening of interactive video horse races, with opportunities to support a local nonprofit that keeps all funds within in the county,” said Erin Foster, president of Quota.
This will be Quota’s first Night at the Races since November of 2021. Normally held around this time of year, the event was pushed back a while because of COVID, and rather than have two similar events in a short span, last winter was skipped. Foster said things should be back on schedule now.
The main thing is, Quota will be back to providing for its charitable interests, which include services for the deaf and hard of hearing, people with speech problems, and disadvantaged women and children.
“What does that really mean? We keep all of our funds in Wayne County,” Foster said. “We purchase amplification systems for schools within the county. We assist in purchasing hearing aids for those in need. We have scholarships for undergraduate and graduate college students, specifically for those going into hearing and speech-related fields.
“We also have a community clothes closet run in West Salem that’s free to any shoppers that have need for clothes, shoes and other personal care items. We try to keep it into those three areas.”
Quota was off to a good start where raising funds was concerned. With less than a week to go until the event, 150 dinner tickets had been sold along with 110 horses. Foster said things were going as well as hoped leading up to the event and the number of tickets told is a good indicator that a productive evening in in store.
As for races, everything is based on $2 bets, winners only and no exotics (no quinellas, trifectas, superfectas, etc.). Folks may make as many $2 bets as they like on a given horse. Each $2 bet gets you a ticket for a horse in the race, so someone who wanted to bet $100 on a particular entry would get 50 tickets.
The races are not the only way to win throughout the evening. There also will be a 50/50 raffle and side board auctions with all kinds of goodies available to bid on.
Diners will be treated to a barbecued pulled-pork dinner from After Hours, chili from Certified Angus Beef and side dishes donated by area restaurants. There also will be an ice cream machine from Dari-Land in Wooster doling out treats.
A Night at the Races is the smaller of two fundraisers done by Quota each year. Keep an eye out in June for the Big Q Raffle, in conjunction with the Wayne County Music and Rib Festival. In that one, folks will have a can buy a $20 raffle ticket for a chance to win one of three grand prizes (among which are a two-year car lease and $10,000 in cash). Second prize is tickets to 12 or more Cleveland Guardians games and third prize is a $500 Red Rover gift card.
Doors open for A Night at the Races at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will be served from 6-7 p.m. and the ponies take their starting positions beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are available by contacting Erin Foster at 330-465-8454 or by visiting www.quotaofwaynecounty.org.
Tickers are still available and will be at the door up until post time for anyone looking for a fun Saturday night at the last minute. The club offers a Win, Place, Show package for $65, which includes two dinners, drinks and a horse. Single admission for dinner and drinks is $30.
For more information about Quota of Wayne County and all its activities and opportunities, see quotaofwaynecounty.org.