Pacing for the Cure celebrates 10 years of helping those in need

Trenton, NJ – It’s a special group of people who will take to the harness racing track Sunday (July 20) for the annual Pacing for the Cure/MSOA 5K Walk/Run at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows.

Pacing For the Cure is celebrating its 10th anniversary of charity work. During its first decade, the organization has expanded its donations from multiple sclerosis to also raising awareness and funds for individuals living with cerebral palsy, ALS, Parkinson’s disease and cancer, while supporting their families with essential mobility and medical equipment. Proceeds go to those within the harness racing community or people in their network.

For the folks paying the $35 registration fee for Sunday’s 10 a.m. event – which numbered over 50 through the weekend – it is a feel-good morning just because of the character they have.

“The people that attend these events are genuinely a fun group of people who also have the key to what ties us all together – compassion for other individuals,” PFTC Founder/President Jeff Gesek said. “This creates lasting friendships and connections. Everyone attends because they see the importance of assisting others in time of need. That’s what makes me the happiest!”

The 5K Walk/Run will include T-shirts and medals for all participants who signed up through July 13, as well as refreshments. For those who register this week or on the day of the event, T-shirts and medals will be provided until they run out. (To register, click here.)

Participants will enjoy a scenic tour around the Washington, Pa., racetrack grounds, community camaraderie and the chance to make a difference – one step at a time, as PFTC likes to say. A DJ will be on the grandstand side, along with some drivers, trainers, caretakers and owners in attendance. Gesek and board members will be on hand to answer questions about the charity.

“It will be a fun and informative day,” Gesek promised. “By watching my dad go through the stages of MS, I recognized the prohibitive costs of the various chronic diseases for others. I decided to combine our love of harness racing with a charity to assist individuals in the harness racing community with MS.”

The mission has gone well beyond that over the years for Gesek and his wife Janine, who are retired healthcare workers living in Burlington, N.J.

PFTC began innocently enough when the couple spotted a horse with a name that hit home, Mr Bill G, because it mirrored the name of Gesek’s father, Bill, who had MS. The couple purchased Mr Bill G for $15,000 at the 2015 Standardbred Horse Sale. Mr Bill G and Jeff’s dad met and had an immediate connection but, unfortunately, Bill passed before he could see his horse in the winner’s circle.

Even in racing retirement, Mr Bill G remains the PFTC Ambassador and symbol by going to riding shows under the care of Nadia Nicole Sherman and her Sherman Show Stable.

“Mr Bill G, Nadia and her show team continue to build awareness of our mission to assist individuals,” Gesek said.

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the PFTC all-volunteer board of Heather Wilder, Bethany Graffam, Elizabeth Lewis-House, Caroline Vazquez and Michael Carter have agreed to offer $2,5000 scholarships to supporters in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, Maine and New York.

With all that PFTC has done, it’s no surprise the harness racing industry has thrown its support behind the Geseks’ cause.

In its first decade, the organization raised over $400,000 with Run/Walks or other special racetrack events at The Meadows, Eldorado Scioto Downs, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Mohegan Pennsylvania’s Pocono Downs, The Meadowlands, Vernon Downs, Ocean Downs and Scarborough Downs.

“The Meadows/MSOA in the Pennsylvania region continues to be one of biggest event supporters,” Gesek said. “They’ve held events almost every year since our inceptions.”

The yearling sale at Harrisburg has sponsored dinners while donations/sponsorships have come from breeding farms along with horsepeople associations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware; PFTC merchandise; drivers, trainers, owners and caretakers $1 per win pledges; as well as numerous individuals. Winbak Farm, which bred Mr Bill G, has also been a great backer.

“I am truly amazed at how much reach and support PFTC has developed,” Gesek said, adding with a big smile, “I would have never dreamed it would be this big. But now that we’re dreaming, my passion and dream is to make PFTC the harness industry’s recognized go to charity for individuals in need of medical equipment and services. It can be accomplished by emailing me at jeff@pacingforthecure.org and telling me your story.”

Like the rest of the nation, PFTC’s activities were stalled during COVID, but during that time donations still helped meet 100 percent of the funding requirements from applications received by those in need.

“As I get older, I realize more and more that it makes me so much happier to give than to receive,” Gesek said. “PFTC has opened this giving channel for me more than I could ever imagine and it is all because of hard-working board members, and our followers and supporters.

“Our applications are typically private situations, but I can say that over these first 10 years I have personally spoken with so many individuals who are forever grateful for what we do. That is a tribute to everyone involved and whoever has donated.”

Special people, one and all.

For more information about Pacing for the Cure, click here. To apply for help and tell your story, click here.

by Rich Fisher, for the USTA