Wellington, FL – March 27, 2012 – The first annual American Express Ride for the Red Cross proved hugely successful, raising $33,600 for the disaster relief organization on Monday, March 26, 2012. Several of the world’s top grand prix riders gathered at Marley Goodman’s Turtle Lane Farm at 1:00 p.m. for a trail ride through Grand Prix Village. Following the tour, the riders returned to Turtle Lane Farm for a catered reception, sponsored by Marley Goodman and Charlie Jacobs.
For a donation of $1,000 or $3,000 for a group of five, anyone could join the cause to benefit disaster relief, which offered the opportunity ride with legends such as Joe Fargis, Rodrigo Pessoa, Debbie Stephens and Candice King. Sheila Burke Reynolds of Manlius, NY, Candice King of Wellington, FL and Charlie Jacobs of Boston, MA chaired the event.
“I thought today was great,” said Charlie Jacobs, whose family’s Deeridge Farm made a $10,000 donation to the cause. “We got to tour around Grand Prix Village, and I personally got to see parts I had not seen previously. Candice King was kind enough to map out an hour-long route for our group. We all came out for a great cause, and had a lot of laughs, and raised some good money.”
Red Cross Interim Chief Development Officer for the Central New York Region James Hastie added, “This event was well above my expectations. To have over 30 riders participate during the first year and have such a big turnout for the reception is wonderful. A lot of our guests aren’t from Palm Beach, they just come down for the show season, and a lot of them are familiar with the Red Cross offices at home. I visit the Wellington Equestrian Preserve on vacation to visit my parents and old friends, but when shelters are still open and people continue to need help recovering from disaster; well, it’s nice to have an incredible opportunity like this to remind folks that Red Cross volunteers are out there working hard. I’d also like to extend a personal thanks to Charlie, Candice, Shelia and Turtle Lane Farm for making this event possible.”
The event was created to generate awareness within the equestrian community with riders who have competed at the Olympics, world championships, and other international competitions. By donating to the cause, riders had the opportunity to participate in a memorable trail ride with these legends while doing good for those in need. Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center generously donated horses for the event, and all of the riders wore red in support of both the Red Cross and to celebrate Rodney Jenkins. The reception after the trail ride included Anne Kursinski, John and Beezie Madden, Ashley Holzer, Sarah Willeman, and Al Schlom.
The best-dressed “Red Riders” earned prizes, which included an American Express $1,000 gift card that went to the equestrian team riders at the Florida Atlantic University, who were generously sponsored by anonymous donors. Debbie Stephens, who dressed up as Rodney Jenkins, earned that grand prize, which included a necklace with Sterling Silver beads from Thailand and Swarovski crystals, donated by Jane Burke Designs.
Further information is available by contacting James Hastie of the American Red Cross at (315)374-6021 or james.hastie@redcross.org.
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