We heard about a great fundraiser that took place online with the help from Facebook during Belmont Stakes week. The beneficiary of this unique fundraiser is the Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA). For those of you who do not know about them, the TCA is a charitable organization that provides grants to non-profit organizations that work toward improving the lives of Thoroughbred racehorses and the people who work with them. The TCA offers the Thoroughbred industry and its supporters a way to give to one organization while helping many.

Back to the fundraiser – Jen Roytz, the Director of Marketing and Communications at Three Chimneys Farm posted on twitter “I’m thinking purple toenails in support of #Ill_HaveAnother – who’s with me?” She pinned her tweet with the hashtag, “#IllHaveAnotherPedicure.” Patti Davis, a Thoroughbred owner and turf writer from Chicago was sitting with her iPad open on her lap and monitoring Twitter in-between occasional glances at the NBA Eastern Conference finals on TV.

They spearheaded the idea when they encouraged others to paint their toes purple as a show of solidarity for I’ll Have Another’s Triple Crown bid.

The fundraiser took shape when Mr. and Mrs. J. Paul Reddam, Doug O’Neill’s Team and Mario Gutierrez pledged to donate $20 to Thoroughbred Charities of America for anyone who donned a purple pedicure and posted a photo of the pedicure on the I’ll Have Another Pedicure Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/IllHaveAnotherPedicure, by midnight on June 9. What a great thing for the owners, trainer and jockey of the Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness Stakes winner to do!

Three hundred seventy six pictures of purple pedicures were posted on the Facebook page raising $7,520 for TCA.

“TCA greatly appreciates the support from everyone involved in the fundraiser. From Patti and Jen’s unique and creative idea; to the Reddams, Team O’Neill and Mario Gutierrez for pledging $20 to TCA for each pedicure; to the 376 men and women who posted photos – thank you,” said Erin Crady, Executive Director of TCA.