A group from St. Richard’s Episcopal Church in Winter Park celebrated “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” in style with Lutheran friends on Saturday, May 6.
St. Richard’s Rev. Alison Harrity announced that 20 people from her church attended a Kentucky Derby party from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Schaeffer Hall of St. John Lutheran Church, 1600 S. Orlando Ave. in Winter Park.
The watch party included a hat parade; a wager event in which players would vie for nonmonetary prizes for win, place, show and last place; a bourbon chicken dinner and desserts; silent and live auctions; as well as mint juleps with a commemorative glass.
“We (attended) the Kentucky Derby party at St. John because we have established a close relationship with them over the years,” Harrity said. “It was great fun. They were raising money to redo their parish hall. The silent auction was really well-loved, with many bids exceeding the value of the basket and the live auction was fun, too.”
Harrity said Dr. Dale Truscott, assisting clergy at St. Richard’s and a Lutheran pastor, works to keep St. Richard’s in close touch with St. John’s. Harrity participated in the installation of Tom Lyberg as St. John’s senior pastor in 2015, which also helped to solidify the churches’ relationship.
“We participated together in inclusive church training at St. John in October 2016, offered in the wake of the Pulse massacre, to help congregations be places where LGBTQ people are truly included and not just tolerated,” she said.
Harrity said St. Richard’s and St. John’s are planning a joint musical event to be held in October in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, so St. Richard’s was happy to be a part of the Kentucky Derby party.
“We had a Kentucky Derby party at St. Richard’s a few years ago, so this was an easy sell to St. Richard’s,” Harrity said.
For more information on events at St. Richard’s, call 407-671-4211.