Liz Bishop, the longtime, award-winning television news anchor at the Albany CBS affiliate station (WRGB-TV) will once again serve as the master of ceremonies for the New York Race Track Chaplaincy's Annual Brunch on Aug. 16 to be held at the Saratoga National Golf Club, the organization said in a release Wednesday.
“First of all, I'm really honored beyond words to emcee this event,” she said. “When I walk into that big room and see all those people from all facets of the Thoroughbred racing world gathered together, I get this strong sensation that this isn't just another social event for them. There is a palpable sense of family and these people are gathered there because they want to take care of the troops, the backstretch workers.”
The chaplaincy will honor trainer Todd Pletcher and his wife Tracy with the Marylou Whitney Award for their continuing devotion and support of the organization and NYRA's backstretch community.
Bishop, a member of the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame who has earned Edward R. Murrow, Associated Press and NY State Emmy awards for her reporting, was first exposed to the chaplaincy through her friendship with Marylou Whitney and her husband John Hendrickson.
“Several years ago, I noticed that Marylou and John were going to great efforts to raise awareness of the chaplaincy and the way it went about serving all those backstretch workers,” she said. “My appreciation for those people grew immensely the more time I spent in the backstretch with Marylou and John. I subsequently decided to do a long-form story on the backstretch and, honestly, it was a bit of a wakeup call for me.”
Click here for tickets and sponsorship information for the brunch.
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