Samoa Racing Club gives $2,000 donation

By Vaelei Von Dincklage 27 November 2020, 6:00PM

The Samoa Racing Club donated $2,000 tala to the Home of the Aged at Mapuifagalele on Thursday morning, with the hope that would help the nuns in whatever they need to care for the elderly's under their care.

Samoa Racing Club vice president, Lesa Richard Keil presented the envelope with the $2,000 tala cheque saying that the money they are presenting is from their horse racing competition that was done earlier in October this year.

"We could've come earlier but we wanted it to be on this day because today is Thanksgiving day. It is the day for giving and loving, so we give you this gift to help the nuns in funding your needs and to help out with whatever that you need to have here in your facility," he said during his presentation.

The Little Sisters of the Poor accepted the gift with a grateful heart and to show their appreciation, the elderly's at Vailele sang the "Ua faafetai" hymn to thank Samoa Horse Racing for their donation.

Sister in-charge Sr Alosia in an interview with the media says that the donation is very helpful especially with their Christmas preparations.

"Thankful for the funds they have donated it's very helpful with our Christmas preparations. God bless the Samoa Racing Club and we hope they continue to prosper. Faafetai tele," she said.

The President, Tuilaepa Peter Rasch, told Samoa Observer that the sole purpose of their donation is to restart their relationship with Mapuifagalele.

"Today and its event as we have witnessed it is mainly us reconnecting our relationship with Mapuifagalele like we used to in the past. Previously, our relationship was off as there were some works that we needed to do at our horse racing field at the time with the solar panels, probably two years since our game was stopped due to these works," he said.

"Now that we have continued our racing sports we are earning money again, and we have some cash, so we are now continuing our partnership with Mapuifagalele again."

Tuilaepa added that before their relationship was cut off, they used to donate to them, not only as a club, but individually, or through their workplaces.

"At first, not only that we donate to them individually, but for the Samoa Racing Club, I think we may have made two or three donations before we ceased due to the works being done, but now we have started to work together again," he added.

They started at Apia Park before they moved to their current location because new sports were being introduced to Samoa.

"We started at where the Apia Park complex is, as we know it is one of the very famous places for sports in Samoa, but then when rugby and other sports were introduced, we then moved to where we are right now, Tuanaimato. But our racing was stopped again because the Government had to install the solar panels, but now we are good to go with our racings," he said.

"We had more than 100 members but because they are really busy with work and other commitments they have stopped coming to our club as well, but the active members are probably 15," added Tuilaepa.

The horse racing club had their first-ever race of 2020 in October, and the funds they donated on Thursday at Mapuifagalele was from that race. 

"Last October, we had our race. Our club is not a profitable organization we only do it out of the love for horses so we get the money from the sponsors and the biddings," he said.

Moving forward, the Samoa Racing Club are hoping to win their old members back to help in the building and developing of their club again, and they already have their plans for 2020 cut out for them.

"Going forward, I hope our old members will come back and build up the club to the way it was. We will have our next race on the 26th of December, on Easter, Independence, and Teuila next year hopefully," he said.

"We have about three newcomers or members and they will compete, we hope to have 10 new members by next year."

By Vaelei Von Dincklage 27 November 2020, 6:00PM

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