by Todd Haight, for Batavia Downs

Batavia, NY — What were Batavia Downs reinsman Chris Carrubba, Jim Morrill, Jr. and Jim McNeight doing at Women and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo?

Dressed in their driving colors, the three drivers were passing out toys to sick area kids as part of the Caring for Kids promotion held at Batavia Downs Gaming during the final three weeks of the recently concluded 2006 racing season.

Batavia Downs photo

Batavia Downs reinsmen Chris Carrubba, Jim McNeight, and Jim Morrill, Jr. passed out toys to children at Women and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.

The promotion, co-sponsored by locally owned and operated Taco Bell restaurants, asked patrons to bring a new unwrapped toy to the track. And did they ever as over 300 toys were donated. Horseman and employees also donated toys. Toys came from as far away as Freehold, New Jersey.

Other hospitals to receive toys from local drivers were Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong Memorial in Rochester and United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.

Television channels WIVB (Ch. 4) and WKBW (Ch. 7) were on hand to cover the Buffalo event and showed footage during their evening broadcasts.

Many thanks go out to everyone that donated toys and to the drivers who took time out of their busy schedules to appear at area hospitals.

Giving something back to the community is nothing new for the harness racing drivers. Earlier in the 61st racing season at the Downs, thanks to some generous donations of the Western New York Horsemen, over $5,000 was raised for Mercy Flight of Western New York.

The 2006 season will be remembered as truly a season of giving.