431 S. Arlington Heights Road
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005
630-530-5204
Rev. Dave Krueckeberg, Minister
wohiodyhayestate@yahoo.com
Racetrack Ministries, Inc. was established in 1988 to oversee and finance the ministry of racetrack chaplain the Reverend David Krueckeberg, an ordained minister of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, when the LCMS was no longer financially able to support the ministry of "Rev. Dave."
The ministry of Rev. Dave on the backstretches of area racetracks was started in 1969 when Rev. Dave realized there was no one doing ministry on the racetracks. Since that time Rev. Dave has regularly led worship and Bible study, performed baptisms, marriages and funerals, and walked the shed-rows to check on the well-being of those on the backstretches and minister to their faith, emotional and physical needs. He has also established a scholarship program which allows as many as 33 children of backstretch workers per year attend area Lutheran schools from grade school to high school.
Rev. Dave's ministry is currently at Arlington Park Racetrack in Arlington Heights and Hawthorne Racetrack in Stickney (Cicero), where both the Hawthorne and Sportsman's meets run. His ministry moves from track to track with the racing seasons.
Currently (Spring, 2004) Rev. Dave is experiencing difficulty at both tracks, with Hawthorne management deciding to limit his ministry to Sunday worship and prayer with the jockeys in the fall of 2003 and Arlington Park management limiting his ministry to Sunday worship this spring. Both negotiations with track management (at Arlington Park) and exploration of legal recourse are ongoing at this time.
This web-site has been established in June, 2004 to keep those interested in the ministry of Rev. Dave and Racetrack Ministries up to date on the ongoing story of this ministry.
If you don't find what you want to know, check back soon, as new material will be added as it is available, or contact us at
wohiodyhayestate@yahoo.com.
If you would like to contribute to the ministry, please make checks out to Racetrack Ministries, Inc. and send them to the above Arlington Heights address.
