The Race For Education’s New York after school program will be renamed the OMS Starting Gate, named for the late Olivia M. Saylor and sponsored by her father Paul Saylor.
OMS Starting Gate program to benefit students
The Saylor family believes this program will impact many young people in the horse racing community and provide a much needed service by offering scholarships for New York students.
Mr. Saylor had previously sponsored an annual college scholarship for a NY student in his daughter’s memory.
The Saylor family believes this program will impact many more young people in the racing community and provide a much needed service. The Race For Education will continue to offer scholarships for New York students.
“The transition from the sponsored scholarship to sponsoring the Starting Gate Program in New York was made to maximize the benefit of the funds committed by providing a basis for learning skills that will aid program participants throughout their educational years.
For the previous five years, the Olivia M. Saylor Scholarship has been presented at Saratoga on her birthday (July 31st) after the Olivia M. Saylor Stakes Race. The tradition of the Olivia M. Saylor Race will continue,” stated Mr. Saylor.
After the races on July 31st at Saratoga, The Race For Education will host an ice cream social and the Saylor family will present an OMS Starting Gate backpack with school supplies to all of the school age students with parents working on the backstretch at Saratoga. Student with families working at Belmont and Aqueduct will also receive backpacks before school starts.
Mr. Saylor has been an RFE board member since 2005. Top horses owned and campaigned by Mr. Saylor include Fleet Indian – 2006 New York Horse of the Year and Older Mare 2006 Eclipse Award Winner, Phil the Grip - 1999 New York Older Horse of the Year, stakes winner Katy Kat and graded stakes-placed A. P. Five Hundred.
In partnership, Mr. Saylor owned and campaigned Ashado – Three Year Old Filly 2004 Eclipse Award Winner and Older Mare 2005 Eclipse Award Winner, Grade 1 Winners Purge and Monba, and Grade 2 Winner Keyed Entry.
The Starting Gate is a literacy program designed to engage middle school students. The program was established in Elmont, NY in 2009 to educate and mentor 7th and 8th graders through a study hall program involving community volunteers, educational field trips and lectures given by inspirational community speakers.
The program’s mission is to engage middle school youth to improve grades, study skills, and post-secondary preparation, while also imparting the value of continued education via college or vocational school.
The OMS Starting Gate Program Coordinator is Barbara Wilcox of Baldwin, NY. Ms. Wilcox has her Masters of Education in Personnel Services in Higher Education, as well as professional diplomas in Educational Administration in Supervision and Marriage and Family Counseling.
“Through academic development programs, tutoring, internships, financial literacy training and scholarships, the Race For Education provides opportunities for educational success for young people with significant financial need and academic challenges.”
For more information on our Starting Gate Program, please contact Mandy Otis, Starting Gate Executive Director at 859-252-8648 or motis@raceforeducation.org