YELLOW RIBBON SUPPORT CENTER ON HAND FOR

MATT MAUPIN MEMORIAL ON MONDAY

 

Legendary funk artist Bootsy Collins will help kick off a Memorial Day celebration at River Downs on Monday.  Cincinnati’s own “Music Ambassador” will be on hand throughout the day to help promote the Fallen Heroes Memorial CD, along with some of the artists and groups that performed on the 20 song historical memorial to the troops.  Several of the artists that appear on the CD will be performing live during the afternoon in the paddock area.  The track offers free admission and general parking with free pony rides on weekends and holidays.  Post time for live racing is 1:20 p.m.

The Yellow Ribbon Foundation will be on hand to accept donations and all of the proceeds of the sale of the CD’s will go to the Fallen Heroes Foundation.  Bootsy Collins will be on hand for photo opportunities and to autograph CD’s.  The Yellow Ribbon Support Center is dedicated to raising the morale of all military troops.  Dedicated volunteers who create and ship Care Packages to the troops through a Soldier’s Wish List maintain the center.

The feature race of the day on Monday is the Matt Maupin Memorial.  Instituted by River Downs last season the race pays tribute to fallen local soldier Staff Sergeant Matt Maupin.   Maupin was born in Batavia and graduated from Glen Este High School in Clermont County, Ohio.  Iraqi insurgents captured Maupin in April 2004 when his fuel convoy came under attack.  His body was found in late March 2008.  “While Memorial Day celebrates the courageous effort of all of our military men and women over the years, by paying tribute to Matt Maupin we put a local face and name towards this day that increases the awareness of the personal sacrifices our troops make every day,” said track spokesman John Engelhardt.  River Downs is offering free lunch coupons to all active military personnel and their immediate family who present their ID at the Information Booth on Monday.

Because of live racing on Memorial Day, River Downs will have a unique schedule for its racing program next week.  They will race live on Monday, have simulcast wagering only on Tuesday, conduct a rare live Wednesday racing program and offer simulcasting wagering only on Thursday.  Beginning the following week River Downs will revert to its traditional “dark” days for live racing only on Monday and Wednesday for the remainder of the meet, which concludes on Labor Day.  Gates open for live and simulcast wagering each day at 11:30 a.m.