Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, Grand Blanc, MI — April 24, 2019
On the same Saturday as the Kentucky Derby, Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club are hosting the annual “Day at the Derby” fundraiser. The event on May 4th at 4 pm is held by the Flint Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
Local Charities
In addition to providing support for the local Jack and Jill Chapter, funds raised will also benefit the March of Dimes, the Judson Center, and the Hurley Children’s Hospital. A silent auction component has been added to this year’s activities. Presently, 10 gift baskets will be auctioned off that include:
- A Trip to the 2020 Kentucky Derby
- Golf Outings
- Restaurant Dinner Certificates
- Tickets to Sporting Events
“I’m excited about this event because it’s a chance for us to raise funds for some of our local community partners and support their programs, as well as provide funding for the Jack and Jill of America Foundation,” said Corey Taylor, foundation chair for and immediate past president of the Flint chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
About Jack and Jill of America, Inc
Jack and Jill of America, Inc. is a membership organization of mothers with children ages 2-19, dedicated to nurturing future African-American leaders by strengthening children through leadership development, volunteer service, philanthropic giving, and civic duty, as well as to provide recreation. Programming includes teaching children to swim in order to decrease the number of drowning deaths. Young people are also taught about financial empowerment.
The local Flint chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. helped get an IV Transport wagon built for Hurley Children’s Hospital. The unit looks like an alligator on wheels. They have provided camp scholarships and placed a mobile library at a local school with a beauty/barber shop.
A Day at the Derby
Past President Corey Taylor came up with the idea for the Derby Days event originally. “I feel that often times when we go to fundraisers we’re kind of sitting around and we’re just having dinner,” she said. “I like to dance, and I like to listen to live music. I also like to dress up a little fancy every now and again with a hat.”
Taylor was raised primarily in Mississippi, where there was always a debutante ball or a cotillion going on. “I like a dress, I like a hat and I like to be dressed up going somewhere a few times out of the year,” she said. “I’m used to seeing women wearing gloves, dresses, hats and being rather dainty. I like to see people having a good time for a good cause. That’s what this event involves.”
Hosted by Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club
The Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club will cater Kentucky Derby style food for the event. A special Southern cuisine menu has been selected to include cheesy grits, biscuits, and shrimp. Desserts will include red velvet cake, lemon meringue pie, key lime pie, sweet potato pie, and other tasty treats.
Non-alcoholic beverages, such as virgin mint juleps, will be available at the cash
bar, in addition to alcoholic beverages. “Everything will be to set the tone of the actual Kentucky Derby even though we’re in Michigan,” Taylor said.
Vendors will sell hats, clothing, jewelry and men’s pocket squares. There were six confirmed vendor tables at press time, other vendors are welcomed. Vendor tables are $50 each and vendors have access to the event from 3-8 p.m. Vendors pay no selling fees the table rent is used to support the local chapter of Jack and Jill, Inc. and their community partners.
Derby Day Happenings
In addition to the vendor displays, auctions, and food, other activities make for a fun afternoon. “When I was looking at the Kentucky Derby, they actually have a derby walk where they’re walking the horses from the stables to the track,” Taylor said. “So, I made up what I call the fashion walk. What we do is everyone in the room models their derby attire. We walk across the stage, table by table, person by person. We have a contest in which the crowd and some of the vendors are our judges for that.” There will be prizes awarded to the best dressed female and best dressed male.
The band Groove Party has played at the Day at the Derby year after year. “They can get you up and get you moving,” Taylor said. “They are very flexible. You can give
them just about any genre, and they can pull it off.” A 50/50 raffle involving the tickets with the numbers of the horses running in the race will be held. One winning ticket will be selected.
The Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby will be screened lived. You can watch the race and cheer on your favorite horse and jockey. Derby Days also offers a unique opportunity for social networking. “Warwick Hills is a beautiful facility, which adds to the excitement of the event and supports the look and the brand for Jack and Jill of America,” Taylor said. “This will be a very, very unique experience to behold!”
Tickets to the local Day at the Derby event are $50 each. To purchase tickets, visit
jnjflintderby.eventbrite.com, email jnjflintderby@gmail.com or call Corey Taylor at 810-625-3581.
