The Maryland Million Ltd. Board of Directors plans to give this award annually in honor of Joe Kelly. Joe was the first and only publicist for the Jim McKay Maryland Million Day racing program. As a close friend of founder Jim McKay, he was involved from the introduction of the concept in 1985 until his death in 2012. He was a mentor to writers, horsemen and fans alike, and loved our sport from his early days as a sports writer.
Your unsung hero candidate should embody characteristics that are valuable, but often go unrewarded. He or she should be honest, hardworking and humble. They should inspire and set a good example through their principles and actions. The unsung hero award recipient will receive a $1,000 honorarium and be recognized at the Sip & Win event and on Jim McKay Maryland Million Day at Laurel Park.
Nominees that are not selected for the award this year will be considered again in future years. There is no need to fill out an application for the same nominee more than one time. Previous winners include: Holly Robinson (2013), Howard G. "Gelo" Hall (2014), Darryll-Ann Buschling (2015), Dr. David Zipf (2016), Mary Shunk (2017), Georganne Hale (2018), Heather Cellinesi (2019), Ahesahmahk Dahn (2020) and Brenda Herzog (2021).
Nominations are due by October 1
Contact the Maryland Million office at (410) 252-2100 with questions.
