What Is Derby Day?

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SPACE COAST DERBY DAY VIDEO

We’re excited to announce the Rockledge Rotary Foundation’s 2022 Space Coast Derby Day. Coinciding with the running of the Kentucky Derby on May 7, this year’s charitable fundraiser features a few changes. The event will combine in-person and virtual participation. Beneficiaries include The Salvation Army in Brevard, Crosswinds Youth Services, and The Children’s Hunger Project.

We’re going to start with a golf tournament at the Turtle Creek Golf Club followed by our Derby Day After Party at The Twisted Birch featuring a live & silent auction and a party with heavy gourmet hors d’oeuvres. Get ready for a bourbon tasting area along with all the other fun activities you’ve come to enjoy at our event–a live stream of the Kentucky Derby, the wheelbarrow of cheer raffle, hat contest, 50/50 raffle, charitable wagering, food, drinks, and more.

The golf tournament will be a shotgun start at 12:30 pm at Turtle Creek Golf Club in Rockledge. The Derby Day After Party, live & silent auction and the rest of the fun takes place from 4 – 9 pm. Join us for the Golf Tournament and Derby Day After Party or just the After Party!

From this website, you can register for the online auction, buy a 50/50 raffle ticket, and/or be a sponsor for the event.

History

Space Coast Derby Day started as Rockledge Rotary’s main fundraiser in 2004. Known as Rockledge Rotary Derby Day, the event was originally held at the Rockledge Country Club. It grew over the next few years until that venue was no longer large enough. We later became a fixture at the Holiday Inn Viera from 2007-2014. With the gaining popularity of the event, we chose a venue with virtually unlimited growth opportunities and moved to Wickham Park. At that time, we rebranded the event to be known as Space Coast Derby Day. As an indoor/outdoor event with live horse racing, we were able to almost double our capacity and provide Central Florida’s premier Kentucky Derby experience hence increasing the support we were able to provide our charitable organizations. In 2020, due to COVID-19, we transitioned to a live, virtual event which enabled us to continue to support the charitable organizations despite the new challenges the year brought many. Due to the success of the event in 2021 because of our sponsors, donors, and attendees, we are continuing the golf tournament and after-party format and we have added an additional beneficiary, The Children’s Hunger Project!

Beneficiaries

The Salvation Army exists to meet human need wherever, whenever, and however it can. The organization assesses the needs of each community it serves and builds programs designed to offer immediate relief, short-term care, and long-term growth in the areas that will best benefit the community.

Crosswinds Youth Services creates opportunities for young people to succeed. Crosswinds provides an emergency shelter for runaway and homeless youths, along with additional services like educational, vocational, and recreational services designed to strengthen skills and individual, group, and family counseling.

The Children’s Hunger Project provides over 2,900 children in Brevard with weekend meals who may be at risk of little or no available food. All meals are prepped/packed/distributed by our volunteers. On empty stomachs, kids don’t have the energy to focus, engage, learn and grow. Yet, this is the reality for many children who worry about when they’ll have their next meal. Every Friday, The Children’s Hunger Project helps elementary school children by providing nutritional food packages to carry kid-friendly food home in their backpack.…meaning it is lightweight and easy for the kids to handle and no cooking is required. On Monday, the kids return to school but with a better and healthier foundation for learning. Thanks to many volunteers and supporters, we have served Brevard County children on school weekends without missing a single week, since 2010. To continue serving the increased need for weekend food fuels our passion and compassion to work on behalf of hungry children in Brevard. Watch this short video to learn more.

The Rockledge Rotary Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity that raises funds and makes charitable donations in alignment with the mission and goals of Rockledge Rotary Club. Our mission is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, supporting education, and alleviating poverty.