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Culture
Rising Above the Debris
Tornado that damaged track doesn't rein in the races at Ellis Park
Thanks to the unending support of the community, the effects of the devastating tornado of 2005 are no longer visible at Ellis Park.When a tornado ripped through Ellis Park at 2 a.m. on Nov. 6, 2005, the trail of destruction it left behind could have snuffed the life out of the horseracing track forever.
“The tornado sat down in our parking lot and proceeded across the race track, tearing out inside and outside rails,” says Bob Jackson, director of operations at Ellis Park.
“It destroyed 11 barns, damaged our dormitories, injured three horses to the extent they had to be euthanized, and we lost our racing offices and grandstand, which sat 2,000 people. It was quite devastating.”
But thanks to the determination of Ellis Park officials and the overwhelming support of the Henderson community, cleanup efforts were under way just four days later, and major rebuilding began in December.
“We got a lot of support from local agencies like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, and people pitched in to take care of the people who had been living in our dormitories, helping them get back on their feet,” Jackson says. “Others volunteered by providing food, water and generators for the cleanup efforts. Not a day went by when we didn’t get 10 or 12 calls out of the Henderson community from people offering their time and services.”
Local contractors and Kenergy, the local electric cooperative, restored power and communications at Ellis Park by 4:30 p.m. the same day the tornado hit.
“It was amazing because we had lines down and power poles broken everywhere,” Jackson says.
With the help of contractors and volunteers, Ellis Park officials were able to get the new grandstand up in time for Derby Day on May 6, 2006, “with a few days to spare,” Jackson says. “We had 5,000 people here for Derby Day.”
Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Wes Aldridge
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