Race for a Cause

Join Us at Southern Silks Stakes

Upcoming Event:

12th Annual Signature Fundraiser Benefits Methodist Family Health Foundation

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Saturday, September 20, 2025

Sponsor Packet

How to Play

Event Impact

Gallery

Ride to the rescue at Southern Silks Stakes!

Methodist Family Health Foundation’s signature fundraiser, Southern Silks Stakes, is back for its 12th year, and we are looking to you to help make it a success by a length.

By attending our 2025 Southern Silks Stakes, YOU are providing peace, stability and hope to the Arkansas children and families in our care who experience abandonment, abuse and neglect or struggle with psychiatric, behavioral and emotional issues. Stake your claim today and join us at 6 p.m. at Embassy Suites in Little Rock on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Need More Information?

Please contact us at 501-906-4253 or Foundation@MethodistFamily.org

Our faux horse race soiree includes:

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Thoroughbred stick horses jockeyed by our sponsors and their guests.

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THV11 Chief Meteorologist Tom Brannon as our emcee and auctioneer.

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Win, Place and Show prizes for winning bidders of each race.

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A Southern buffet dinner and libations.

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The hottest online auction.

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A hat contest, and so much more.

Sponsorship Packet

Our 2024 Sponsors

Thank you to our past sponsors for their generosity and dedication to improving the lives of the Arkansas children and families we serve. Without you, this event wouldn’t be possible.

Winner’s Circle Sponsor

Special Appeal Purse Sponsor

Prize Sponsor

Owner Sponsor

Trainer Sponsor

Melanie & Matt Buchanan
Elizabeth & Aaron Caldwell
Jan G. Green
Marci H. Hall & Family
Barbara House
Mary & Clef Vaughan

Jockey Sponsor

Arkansas Continued Care Hospital of Jonesboro ARKOMA
Consulting/Bi-Partisan Strategies, Inc.
Bailey Construction & Consulting, LLC
Linda H. Barnes
Drew & Brian Benham
CareSource PASSE
Delta Dental of Arkansas
Empower Healthcare
First Orion
Pam & Jay Gadberry
Grady’s Pizza & Subs
Betty & Richard Hanson/Becky & Jerry Kossover Arita & Tom Jewart
Kathleen Kennally & Mark Holder
Methodist Behavioral Hospital
Methodist Family Health
OneDigital Health & Benefits
Pettus Workplace Solutions
Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull LLC
Staley Electric
Summit Community Care
Pat & Jim Wallis
Karen Yezzi

2024 Gallery

A man and a woman pose in front of a backdrop featuring various logos. The man wears a black and gold patterned jacket and hat with feathers. The woman wears a leopard print dress and an orange hat with feathers and a veil. Both are smiling.

A group of people stand indoors on a stage for a turtle racing event. They hold turtles on sticks. A woman in a blue dress swings a turtle. A screen in the background displays a live feed of the event. A man at a podium smiles.

A table displaying colorful handmade art items for auction, including two vibrant woven pillows and several coaster sets. A sign reads, This art made by children in our care is available in the online auction.

A person in a suit uses a smartphone to scan or photograph items on a display table. Various gift baskets and framed pictures are arranged on the table, with a sign in the background that reads happy everything.

A projection screen displays logos of various sponsors, including Gill Ragon Owen, Southern Silks Stakes, Simmons Bank, and Bank OZK. People are seated in front of the screen.

People are seated at a booth with black tablecloths and various items like ice buckets and pens. Colorful curtains in green, red, blue, and yellow hang behind them. A woman in a pink dress stands at the table, engaging with a man.

A man in a gray suit and a woman in a floral dress and yellow headband stand smiling in front of a backdrop with logos, including Southern Silks Stakes Methodist and Gill Ragon Owen, Attorneys.

Two women stand smiling in front of a backdrop with logos. One wears a pink dress and black hat, the other a black dress with a matching hat and gloves. Both appear dressed for a formal event.

Three people are smiling and posing together at an indoor event. The man in the middle is wearing a gray shirt and dark pants, while the women on either side of him are dressed in black and green dresses. Other attendees are visible in the background.

A group of four people having a conversation at a formal event. A woman in a blue dress and a man in a light hat are standing, while two men in suits are seated. The background shows a busy, dimly-lit room with other attendees.

A man in a hat and a woman with a red fascinator are serving themselves from a buffet table filled with various cakes. The woman is holding a plate with a salad, pointing towards the cakes. The setting appears to be a formal indoor event.

A smiling woman in a pink dress and hat stands beside a man in a suit and hat. They are holding a toy horse and red roses, posing at an event with a Southern Silks Stakes banner in the background.

A group of people, dressed in colorful formal attire and hats, pose together around a table set with drinks and flowers. The room has informational boards and a landscape photo displayed on the wall.

A group of people in colorful costumes stand on a stage with a checkered floor. Some hold props, like plush animals and a plush cow. A white picket fence runs across the stage, and individuals behind them are speaking at a podium.

A group of men dressed in various costumes, including a horse jockey outfit and a kilt, standing on a floor resembling a race track. Theyre holding stuffed animals and raising their arms, appearing to cheer in a festive indoor setting.

View More Photos

Rules of the Game

1

Purchase betting bucks before or during the event. 5 for $20 before Thursday Sept. 19 or $5 each thereafter.

2

Clearly print your name on the back of each betting buck.

3

Place bets at any of the betting windows, which are color coded to the sponsor horses competing in each race.

4

Place multiple bets on multiple horses to increase chances of winning.

5

Post times for 5 races will be announced throughout the evening with time for betting prior to each.

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Jockeys selected in advance by table sponsors will take their places on the track for designated races.

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Jockeys will advance at the roll of dice, which indicate jockey color and number of spaces to move.

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The jockey who crosses the finish line first rides the WIN horse. The jockey who crosses second rides the PLACE horse. The jockey who crosses third rides the SHOW horse.

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At the end of each race, 1 betting buck will be drawn for each of the Win, Place and Show levels. The person* whose name is on each winning betting buck will be awarded a prize according to the level they won.

*Must be present to win.

How to play Southern Silks Stakes

Maybe you don’t want to be tempted by any auction items, but you still want to help the Arkansas children and families in our care. We have easy ways for you to do just that!

Learn More

Event Impact

Proceeds from Southern Silks Stakes support transportation assistance for those in the care of Methodist Family Health, Kaleidoscope Grief Center and Camp Healing Hearts. Transportation assistance allows families to stay connected while receiving inpatient or residential care and helps those who struggle to afford the cost of getting to therapy. Kaleidoscope Grief Center hosts bereavement support groups and therapeutic outings. And Camp Healing Hearts is a free overnight camp open to any children who have experienced the death of a loved one.

By supporting Southern Silks Stakes, you are demonstrating to those in our care that the community they are a part of values and cares for them.

Support Our Compassion Fund

At this year’s event, we will also be raising money for the Compassion Fund. This Foundation initiative supports requests to fulfill specific needs for Methodist Family Health clients that serve their therapeutic goals and help our staff fulfill the mission of providing the best possible care. Requests can range from weighted blankets to musical instruments or eyeglasses to martial arts classes. While this amount is an outlier, the Compassion Fund has paid for a client to visit an out-of-state sibling with terminal cancer.

Special Appeal Purse Sponsor

DONATE ONLINE using our secure online donation form

PayPal and Venmo options are now available on our website once you hit “Secure Payment”. Choose Southern Silks Stakes in the designation box.

Donate Online

MAIL a check donation to us

Methodist Family Health Foundation
1600 Aldersgate Road, Suite 100
Little Rock, AR 72205
Please write SILKS in the memo field.

CALL us and let's talk

Call us to make a secure contribution with your debit or credit card.

Call 501-906-4253