INDIANAPOLIS — Officials from two Indiana casinos on Friday made a $50,000 donation to help fund a new equine facility for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's Mounted Patrol Unit.
With the donation from Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino and Indiana Grand Racing & Casino, the mounted unit has raised nearly $200,000 of a $1 million goal. The presentation was made at the mounted unit's headquarters on the west side of Indianapolis.
"When you tour the grounds, you see a new facility is needed," Mike Rich, senior vice president and general manager of Indiana Grand, said. "We're thrilled to be able to help kickstart this campaign."
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The IMPD Mounted Patrol Unit currently operates out of a small barn and three small construction trailers on the former grounds of the Central State Hospital. The current facilities were not intended for long-term use.
According to the mounted patrol, the $1 million campaign will fund a new equine facility on 20 acres on the same ground.
"We're here to keep our community safe and improve relationships," Mayor Joe Hogsett said. "There are no better ambassadors than the horses I stand in front of today. One day soon you'll see a state-of-the-art location at this site."
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Teams from both Harrah's Hoosier Park and Indiana Grand toured the facility in January.
"Our teams are passionate about finding ways to work on projects we believe are impactful to communities," Trent McIntosh, senior vice president and general manager of Harrah's Hoosier Park, said. "These equine athletes help the IMPD do their jobs every day."
