CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — With its spring races less than four weeks away, Foxfield Races announced the expansion of its philanthropic partnership with Camp Holiday Trails for an additional five years.

The non-profit camp, which provides a year-long camp experience for children with medical needs, has been the long-term partner for Foxfield’s spring races since 2022. Since then, the racetrack has donated more than $225,000 to the camp.

“We believe strongly in long-term partnership impact,” Camp Holiday Trail Executive Director Tina LaRoche told Cville Right Now. “So not just one check, not just one year. So, the initial five years set us on that path and now that we have re-engaged for another five years, what we really want to see is how can this move the needle on our mission.”

LaRoche said Foxfield’s support helped the camp break ground on its new “Med Corner,” a yearlong clinic operating at the camp. She said the camp’s board will be looking for the next project to “show that Foxfield and Camp Holiday Trails together have moved the needle on our mission.”

For Foxfield, its partnership with Camp Holiday Trails ties back to the original vision of the races’ creator, Mariann de Tejeda, who’s goal was to support local philanthropic organizations when she first built the track in 1977. When the races’ new board came together in 2020 to revamp the races, their goal was to maintain de Tejeda’s wishes by selecting two philanthropic partners. Camp Holiday Trails was selected due to its service to children with medical need, while Habitat for Humanity has been the long-term partner for the fall races due to its social impact.

“It’s a great partnership,” Foxfield Executive Director Marian Fife told Cville Right Now. “We host them here at the races on race day and they can invite their staff. They can invite people who donate to them. They can use their tent space to their benefit, and they’ve found that’s very helpful in helping get new people to support them.”

In addition to the donations and tent space, Foxfield has also sent staff over to the camp for a volunteer day, with Fife saying she helped paint the camp’s kitchen about a month ago. The camp reciprocates by sending volunteers up to the track before the race to help with set up.

“We really support each other and have found that this arrangement is mutually beneficial,” Fife said.

Foxfield also has continued to make an impact locally through the Foxfield Fund, a local grant program run by the owners of Foxfield Races. While distinct from the board, both have been involved with Camp Holiday Trails, with the fund matching the board’s donation toward the camp’s “Med Corner” last year.

“Camp Holiday Trails is an incredible organization that has meant so much to the Charlottesville community for years,” Zach Miller of the Foxfield Fund said in a statement. “At Foxfield, we’ve always recognized the importance of creating opportunities for children to experience the land and the outdoors in a truly special way, and Camp Holiday Trails makes that possible for campers who might not otherwise have the chance. We’re excited to see this partnership renewed.”

The Foxfield fund has also made a number of other philanthropic effort as of late. Last weekend, the fund’s $100,000 matching donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charlottesville’s inaugural Red Shoe Gala on Saturday helped drive donations, with the event bringing in $187,000 in addition to the fund’s donation. In a press release, Miller echoed the original vision for Foxfield.

“The Foxfield Steeplechase track has always been about far more than horse racing,” he wrote. “It’s been about community coming together to make a difference.”