Blue Grass Farms Charities Inc

Employment at a horse farm in Central Kentucky isn’t a job; it’s a lifestyle with a unique set of challenges. Blue Grass Farms Charities (BGFC) recognizes this. Located in Lexington, KY and founded in 2003 by people in the horse industry who saw a need for resources for employees in their industry, BGFC serves over 2,000 horsemen and their families annually, with programs including health clinics, education, sports and financial aid.

While industry workers who show legitimate need (i.e. extreme illness, family crisis situation, etc.) can be supported in the way of rent, utilities, and food BGFC also grants aid to people without healthcare, thanks to the assistance of the University of Kentucky healthcare system and Bluegrass Community Health Center. In one case, a man with pneumonia walked five miles from the racetrack to reach the BGFC offices. BGFC sent the man to the doctor for his pneumonia, and the visit resulted in a lung cancer diagnosis (which has since turned to brain cancer). BGFC has been at his side talking to doctors, overseeing his care and even assisting with his utility bills. For as much seven-day-a-week care as these horsemen have provided to the horses of Kentucky, the BGFC gives just as much care back to the horsemen.