Kilted at Churchill Downs and I did not see a single race in two days

[ForresterModern]

My employer allows each employee two paid days of VCS---Volunteer Community Service---off work each year. Originally I was supposed to use mine as part of a week long trip to the Dominican Republic with a mission from our church to do infrastructure work while "spreading the Word" in a poorer rural town. However in mid-December I blew out a disc in my back which eliminated my ability to do any heavy manual labor for a year, while also sucking up 9 of my limited PTO days, so I had to back out of the trip in its early planning stages back in January. This missionary organization is based out of Louisville with some of its efforts and monies spent locally but the majority in the third world. I One local event was for fundraising the last week or so around the events of the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby race days. So I volunteered two days at the souvenir booths at Churchill Downs for GO-ministries.com (for our church) and on the second day (Kentucky Oaks Day--the big race day Friday right before Derby Saturday) the leaders let me work in full kilted kit (minus my Argyll jacket which was replaced with a pink "merchandise vendor staff" t-shirt) instead of the boring requisite khakis. The kilt paid off big for all involved when the local business journal media person saw me and asked me for an interview:

http://www.bizjournals.com/louisvill...rom-derby.html

My vendors tent was one of 26 booths/tents scattered around the Downs, but was the biggest, busiest and most central being only 20 yards from the pre-race show and saddle paddock (where the jockeys mount up right before the race) so we were in high traffic zone and very busy. During a five minute lemonade break I must have had my photo taken by or with 15 people, not including the media reporter who wrote the nice piece above. 14 hours on my feet in ghillies is not likely to happen again for quite some while I think. But all in all a great experience for a great cause at a great place with great people. Did see one other kiltie there--a native highlander relocated to somewhere in Iowa--also dressed to the nines in full day dress tweed attire.