2023 Marks the Third Year of Derby Season Partnership
February 24, 2023. Louisville, KY. – A third Louisville-based company is joining forces with Kentucky Derby Festival, Churchill Downs and Humana to support the Derby Equity and Community Initiative (DECI). Park Community Credit Union – Kentucky’s largest Community Development Financial Institution – is the newest sponsor of the multi-year initiative. DECI was launched in 2021 to incorporate more equitable programming into the Derby season with the intention of directing economic impact and ensuring that the entire community feels a part of the Derby season and the celebrations that surround it.
“This partnership is part of Park’s larger efforts to address wealth disparities and equity in Louisville,” said Jim Spradlin, CEO of Park Community. “As Kentucky’s only CDFI credit union, we are committed to creating an inclusive economy through equal opportunities for economic growth and development in traditionally underserved and marginalized areas. This partnership provides support in creating those opportunities and impacting transformative change.”
“The work we are able to do through the Derby Equity and Community Initiative is made possible by the support of our amazing partners. We are honored to have Park Community Credit Union join us in this mission and help amplify our efforts,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO. “While the Derby Festival’s goal has always been to bring the entire community together in celebration every spring, our hope through this initiative is that the positive impacts on the community will last long after the events have wrapped up.”
Park Community will become the Official Financial Literacy Resource of the initiative and has made a multi-year commitment. The addition of their partnership and emphasis on financial literacy will impact the initiative on multiple levels:
- Local minority-owned vendors, businesses, and organizations who are interested in partnering with or participating in the Derby Festival will have access to financial resources, educational classes, and tools from Park Community Credit Union. Information will be added to the DECI’s web portal, where those businesses, vendors, and events currently submit their applications. (KDF.org/DECI)
- Students participating in JusticeFest, the inaugural event of DECI, will gain access to budgeting tools and advice to help move their projects forward. The third annual JusticeFest is set for Saturday, February 25 with Jefferson County Public School students from elementary to high school presenting multiple ideas and solutions to community-wide issues to community and business leaders, advisers, professionals, and potential funders. (JusticeFest will be held at the Kentucky International Convention Center from 8:30-4 p.m. on Feb. 25. While the event is not open to the public, media are invited to attend and can coordinate coverage through the KDF Press Office.)
- The partnership will help provide free parking for the community at the second annual Block Party event which is set for Saturday, April 15, at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center. The day-long event showcases minority-owned businesses in West Louisville including food trucks, live entertainment, a shopping marketing place, vendor fair, and more.
“It is thrilling to welcome Park Community Credit Union to this significant effort and know that the resources they offer will have a profound impact on both the economic influence of the Derby season and on the lives of local minority-owned businesses today and community-minded leaders of tomorrow,” said Tonya Abeln, President of Churchill Downs Incorporated Foundation. “It has always been the goal of Churchill Downs for the Derby to be experienced, enjoyed and celebrated by the entire community, and we thank Kentucky Derby Festival, Humana and Park Community Credit Union for recognizing this importance and for helping us to make it so.”
“We at Humana know that we’ll only be able to make it easier for all Louisvillians to achieve their best health when we collaborate with intention to make lasting change,” said Dior Cotten, Humana’s Bold Goal Population Health Lead for Louisville. “With the success of the inaugural Block Party in West Louisville last year and the growing economic opportunities for diverse businesses to benefit from the Derby season, we’re proud of our continued commitment to DECI. We’re also excited to welcome our new partner in this commitment, and see it as just another testament to Louisville’s business leaders holding one another other accountable for helping foster greater equity and sense of belonging in our community.”
DECI is built upon Kentucky Derby Festival’s long-established mission to provide creative and unique entertainment and community service for the people of Greater Louisville that directly contributes to the aesthetic, cultural, educational, charitable, and economic development of the area. The partners have pledged to fund DECI for multiple years.
2023 is the third year of the multi-phased initiative, which has three primary pillars to promote equity through Derby season: Support, Restore, and Create. (Full details on the pillars can be found online at KDF.org/derbyequitycommunityinitiative.)
About Kentucky Derby Festival
Since 1956, the not-for-profit Derby Festival has worked to bring the community together in celebration. The Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It is the largest single attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world. Additional information can be found online at www.kdf.org.
About Churchill Downs Incorporated
Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”, NASDAQ: CHDN) has been creating extraordinary entertainment experiences for nearly 150 years, beginning with the company’s most iconic and enduring asset, the Kentucky Derby. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, CDI has expanded through the development of live and historical racing entertainment venues, the growth of the TwinSpires horse racing online wagering business and the operation and development of regional casino gaming properties. www.churchilldownsincorporated.com.
About Humana
Humana Inc. is committed to helping our millions of medical and specialty members achieve their best health. Our successful history in care delivery and health plan administration is helping us create a new kind of integrated care with the power to improve health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large.
To accomplish that, we support physicians and other health care professionals as they work to deliver the right care in the right place for their patients, our members. Our range of clinical capabilities, resources and tools – such as in-home care, behavioral health, pharmacy services, data analytics and wellness solutions – combine to produce a simplified experience with the goal of making health care easier to navigate and more effective. More information regarding Humana is available on the company’s website at www.humana.com.
About Park Community Credit Union
Park Community was established in 1965 to serve the employees of General Electric’s Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky. It has since grown to serve more than 80,000 members across Kentucky and Indiana today. As Kentucky’s largest Community Development Financial Institution (CFDI), their philosophy continues to champion the credit union motto of “people helping people” with a focused mission to deliver fair and affordable financial products and services to low-income and traditionally underserved communities. Please visit www.parkcommunity.com or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/parkcommunitycu.
Media Contacts:
Park Community Credit Union: Tiffany Felts – VP Marketing and Development
(502) 815-7297 (office) (502) 681-4616 (mobile) Tiffany.Felts@parkcommunity.com
Churchill Downs: Tonya Abeln – Vice President, Communications
(502) 636-4506 (office) (502) 386-1742 (mobile) Tonya.Abeln@KyDerby.com
Humana: Leslie Clements – Lead, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Communications
(502) 641-3179 lclements@humana.com
502.584.FEST| 1001 S. Third Street| Louisville, Kentucky 40203
