More than 300 supporters of Methodist Family Health Foundation sidled into Embassy Suites by Hilton Little Rock on Sept. 17 for the 9th annual Southern Silks Stakes.

Several donned seersucker suits with fedoras or bowlers or festive outfits with wide-brimmed hats adorned with feathers, flowers, ribbons and, in one case, tiny plastic horses, and they placed $5 bets on stick ponies, each adorned with different colored silks. There were six races in all, emceed by Tom Brannon, and the outcomes were determined by rolls of the dice.

The event, sponsored by lawyer Gill Ragon Owen and chaired by Jenny and Jeremy Teeter, raised $185,063 for the organization. Of that, $31,886 was donated as the result of a special appeal organizers made during the evening. That money will be used to buy Christmas presents for children in the care of Methodist Family Health. Methodist Family Health provides in-patient and out-patient care for children struggling with psychiatric, behavioral, emotional or spiritual issues.

Auction items included a seven-day trip for 10 to Costa Rica, a James Hayes original hand-blown glass chandelier, a Little Rock Rangers VIP package, a Sonoma wine tasting tour, Alwand Vahan hoop earrings and a party at Pine Hill Ranch, as well as a Hot Springs Spring Fling, including time in the Enclave Suite at The Reserve and a private box at Oaklawn.

-- Story and photos by Kimberly Dishongh

Print Headline: A night at the races

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