Local Kids Get Their Own Derby Eve Gala At School
Louisville’s Blessings in a Backpack teamed up with Unbridled Charitable Foundation, Inc. for their first “Unbridled Afternoon” for the students at Engelhard Elementary on Friday April 15th.
As an ode to the annual Unbridled Eve Gala the night before Derby, they wanted to create the same kind of excitement for kids.
Nikki Grizzle, Chief Marketing Officer of Blessings in a Backpack, said:
“While our vision is centered around feeding children to provide them with the nourishment they need, having fun together is also a form of nourishment these students deserve. Thanks to the local community members who stepped up to help us ensure these students have the best time possible.”
Churchill Downs official bugler, Steve Buttleman, kicked off the day with the “Call to Post” over the school’s intercom system. And that afternoon, students got the full celebrity treatment that adults get at Derby Eve galas!
They walked down a red carpet and posed for pictures taken by “paparazzi” and got autographs from local celebs that were there including country star J. D. Shelburne and Monica Hardin! See her video HERE!
There was a horse in a petting area, Papa John’s Pizza, a hot air balloon to symbolize the Balloon Glow, the Zoeller Pump Company’s wrapped truck that will be participating in the Pegasus Parade, and they cheered on their teachers who competed in a stick-horse race.
They plan to do it every year at different area schools!
