Tickets available now for Rotary’s Kentucky Derby Party

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Photo courtesy John Duvall
Pagosa Rotary Club’s annual Kentucky Derby Party is set for May 5 from 2 to 6 p.m. Tickets are available now.[/caption]

By Lisa Scott

Special to The PREVIEW

It’s Derby time. Mark it down: May 5 from 2 to 6 p.m. That’s when Pagosa Springs’ absolutely best party will be held at the magnificent Keyah Grande Lodge. It’s the annual Kentucky Derby Party hosted by the Pagosa Rotary Club.

Called “the most exciting two minutes in sports,” the running of the Kentucky Derby will be simulcast live from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Partygoers will partake in live music, everybody in a colorful outfit and hat, mint juleps and buffet lunch. Other fun includes real wagering just like at Churchill Downs, gathering around the big-screen TV with 200 other merry-makers, singing “My Old Kentucky Home” as the horses are led onto the track, and then lots of hootin’ and hollerin’ as the thoroughbreds race around the track.

It’s a great way to welcome the coming of spring here in the mountains. The claim of “A good time will be had by all!” is an understatement. Ask anyone who has attended any of the past Kentucky Derby parties. Just seeing Keyah Grande and fellow Pagosans decked out in their most colorful, occasionally outrageous and creative finery might be reason enough to come.

Another reason to participate is that proceeds from the Kentucky Derby Party fund the Pagosa Rotary Club’s many community projects, such as the $20,000 in college scholarships given annually to graduating seniors from Archuleta County, the local Feed the Children program, teacher mini-grants, dictionaries given to every third-grader, sending high school students to leadership camps and many other worthwhile projects.

Come to the party. It’s a total “feel good” way to spend a Saturday afternoon in May. Tickets are $45 each and can be purchased from any Rotarian or at Exit Realty. Put it in your calendar now: May 5.

With over 24,000 clubs and 1.2 million members worldwide, Rotary International is a service organization with the goal of bringing together dedicated individuals to exchange ideas, build relationships, take action and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Exemplifying the Rotary motto of Service Above Self, the local Rotary clubs provide support for local and international project that improve the lives of others.