Celebrate the Thrill of the Race with Memory Lane Therapy‘s Melbourne Cup Blog! The Melbourne Cup is a cherished Australian tradition, holding a special place in the hearts of many seniors. Hosting a celebratory event in aged care can spark joy and reminisce about exciting memories.
Even if you’re not from Australia, don’t worry! This blog offers fantastic ideas that can be easily adapted to other major horse racing events worldwide, like the Kentucky Derby (USA) or Royal Ascot (UK). So, get ready to bring the thrill of the race to your loved ones!
When is the Melbourne Cup?
The Melbourne Cup, a horse race known as “the race that stops a nation,” is a yearly highlight in Australia. Held on the first Tuesday of November at the iconic Flemington Racecourse, it’s a cultural phenomenon with a rich history dating back to 1861.
How to Run a Successful Melbourne Cup Event in Aged Care
Check out our step-by-step guide on how to run a successful Melbourne Cup event in the comfort of your aged care! Never miss a detail as we breakdown each step for you! Surely, your seniors will appreciate your preparations.
Send Out Melbourne Cup Invitations
Send out invitations to all the residents and staff before the big event. We have prepared an invitation for you, just click the image below – save and print it. We have left space at the bottom for you to fill in any extra details.
Prepare Themed Decorations
Decorate the activity room walls with classic horse racing posters and memorabilia. Find vintage prints showcasing famous jockeys and thoroughbreds, or create a photo collage of iconic Melbourne Cup moments.
Print and Display Galloping Greats: Search online for captivating photographs of horses in action. Capture the power and grace of these magnificent creatures, from close-up portraits of their expressive faces to heart-pounding shots of them thundering down the track. Print them out and arrange them around the room for an inspiring display.
Broadcast the Race Live (Optional): If possible, set up your big screen to broadcast the Melbourne Cup race live. Gather everyone around to cheer on their favorite horses and experience the excitement of this national event together.
Tablescapes Fit for Champions: Don’t forget to add a touch of equestrian elegance to your dining tables! Spruce them up with horse-themed centerpieces, like miniature jockeys on hobby horses or bouquets of flowers in the racecourse’s colors. Decorate with festive balloons in the same color scheme to complete the celebratory atmosphere.
Dress up in Style
Encourage the staff to dress up as Jockeys, Bookies, or just wear a special outfit complete with a fascinator or hat. Fascinators could be made in craft groups the weeks before the big day.
Melbourne Cup Luncheon & Drinks
At our facility like many others around Australia, we have a luncheon usually consisting of chicken salad catered by the facility kitchen. And beer, cool drink and champagne with orange juice.
Run some Games
Have a horse racing quiz, play fun racing games like Pool Noodle Horse Race and have sweeps where the residents & staff have a chance of winning some money for a small outlay.
Fashions of the field, best hats and lucky seat/spot prizes.
How to Run a Melbourne Cup Sweep
The Melbourne Cup is a long race 3200 meters (2 miles) and the prize money is worth $8,000,000.
1. Cut out the names of the 24 horses running in the Melbourne Cup,
2. fold the names and place in a bucket.
3. Allow 24 people to be in each sweep.
4. Make a list of all 24 participants, then draw out a horse for each person from the bucket one by one.
5. Write each persons name clearly on a whiteboard with the name of the horse that was drawn for each person next to their name.
6. If the tickets were $2 each you will have a prize pool of $48.
7. Have 4 prizes. The winning horse receives $20, second place $15, third place $10 and the horse that runs last gets $3.
