Tag Archives: Great Charity Challenge

Horses Healing Hearts Receives Grant from FTI Great Charity Challenge

Volunteer Kathleen Hayden and participant of HHH Julie Vanhille celebrate Todd Minikus' generosity during the Great Charity Challenge drawing

Wellington, FL – January, 15, 2013 – Horses Healing Hearts (HHH) is proud to announce that the non-profit organization recently received a $25,000 grant from the FTI Great Charity Challenge. In previous years, the Great Charity Challenge has only consisted of those charities drawn for the competition – an opportunity that has always escaped HHH. It was one phone call that changed their luck that Sunday, January 6, 2013.

The Great Charity Challenge distributes over $1 million in prizes to competing charity teams. Thirty-one charities have been selected to participate in the 2013 Challenge. The night of the Trump Invitational Grand Prix, Horses Healing Hearts was called and told that they were drawn as the winner of the ‘surprise grant.’

Even though Horses Healing Hearts was not selected to participate in the competition, “We ended up getting the grant,” Liz Olszewski, Founder and Executive Director of Horses Healing Hearts, smiled. “This was the first time anything like this has happened for the Great Charity Challenge.”

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Kent Farrington and Dynamo Win $100,000 Trump Invitational Grand Prix CSI 2*

The Voice Winner Cassadee Pope Rocked Opening Ceremonies; Money Raised to Benefit the FTI Consulting Great Charity Challenge

Kent Farrington and Dynamo jump over the Veuve Clicquot fence. Photo © Sportfot

Palm Beach, FL – January 7, 2013 – The first ever $100,000 Trump Invitational Grand Prix CSI 2* debuted to rave reviews on Sunday, January 6, at the beautiful Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, FL. With some of the world’s top show jumpers competing on the lawn of Donald Trump’s scenic estate overlooking South Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway, U.S. rider Kent Farrington jumped to victory in the inaugural class aboard Amalaya Investments’ Dynamo.

The Trump Invitational benefits the 2013 FTI Consulting Great Charity Challenge (FTI GCC), present by Fidelity Investments, one of the hallmarks of Equestrian Sport Productions’ FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. The event has raised and distributed over $2.7 million to local Palm Beach charities over the last three years. In addition to the grand prix competition on Sunday, a wild card charity was drawn for the 2013 FTI GCC, The Voice winner Cassadee Pope performed some of her top songs as well as the national anthem, and Olympic Dressage duo Tina Konyot and Calecto V performed their winning freestyle exhibition.

Continue reading Kent Farrington and Dynamo Win $100,000 Trump Invitational Grand Prix CSI 2*

Show Jumping Riders Announced for $100,000 Trump Invitational

Initial Tables Sold Out, New Tables Added with Limited Availability; Tina Konyot and Calecto V to Perform Dressage Exhibition

Wellington, FL – December 26, 2012 – Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) announces that the riders for the $100,000 Trump Invitational, held at The Mar-a-Lago Club on Palm Beach Island on Sunday, January 6, at 12 p.m., have been announced.

The riders that will be invited to compete in the inaugural $100,000 Trump Invitational are:

From the United States:

  • Kent Farrington
  • Laura Kraut
  • Reed Kessler
  • Mclain Ward
  • Lauren Hough
  • Katie Dinan
  • Brianne Goutal
  • Christine McCrea
  • Saer Coulter
  • Charlie Jayne
  • Candice King
  • Margie Engle
  • Jessica Springsteen
  • Leslie Howard
  • Kirsten Coe
  • Schuyler Riley
  • Catherine Pasmore
  • Lauren Tisbo
  • Quentin Judge
  • Paige Johnson
  • Nicole Bellissimo
  • Gabrielle Mershad
  • Nick Dello Joio

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Mark Bellissimo and Donald Trump Announce First Annual $100,000 Trump Invitational to Benefit Great Charity Challenge

Wellington, FL – November 30, 2012 – Mark Bellissimo and Donald Trump are pleased to announce that they will host the first annual $100,000 Trump Invitational to benefit the 2013 FTI Consulting Great Charity Challenge presented by Fidelity Investments (FTI GCC). A FEI-rated show jumping event, it will be held on the grounds of the stunning Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, FL, on Sunday, January 6, 2013, at 12 p.m.

Mar-a-Lago, the former Marjorie Merriweather Post Estate purchased and restored by Trump in 1985, is one of the most spectacular mansions in the world and in the national register of historic places and a designated U.S National Landmark. It will be the first ever equestrian event held on Palm Beach Island and will serve as an exciting kick-off to the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, the 12-week circuit that runs at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on January 9 – March 31, 2013.

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Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center Picked for the Great Charity Challenge Drawing

Loxahatchee, FL – December 14, 2011 – The 2011 Holiday HorseFest held in Downtown West Palm Beach, FL, on Sunday, December 11, 2011, at the Meyer Amphitheatre was a huge success. Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center (VTRC) emerged victorious as a nominated charity to be represented at the 2012 FTI Great Charity Challenge presented by Fidelity Investments on the evening of Friday, February 17, 2012.

As one of the 32 selected charities, VTRC will be randomly assigned to one of the sponsored teams competing for the top prize money at the Great Charity Challenge. The Challenge is a competition consisting of two junior/amateur-owner riders combined with one Olympic or world-class rider. This year, $1.5 million is the goal, and all proceeds will directly go to the participating charities, with the least amount received being $10,000.

VTRC also had the honor of participating in the opening ceremonies of Holiday HorseFest. Juan Burbano, A. J. Zembrzuski, Carrie MacMillian, and Jason Legato performed a color guard routine to represent the VTRC and the Special Olympics.

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Great Charity Challenge Ticket Sales Update: Danny and Ron’s rescue wins 2011 bye! Caridad wins 2012 bye!

Wellington, FL – January 23, 2010 – With 512 tickets sold, Danny and Ron’s Rescue became the 30th selection of the 2011 Great Charity Challenge (GCC).  Caridad, with 535 tickets sold, received a bye for the 2012 GCC. Yesterday, over 2,600 tickets and $55,000 dollars were raised for the event.

A summary of the 2011 Bye Candidates and the count of sales is below:

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=13030

ESP Announces Fundraising Goal of $1 Million for the 2011 FTI Great Charity Challenge

Wellington, FL – January 15, 2011 – The first annual FTI Great Charity Challenge galloped out of the gates in 2010 with huge momentum, raising over $560,000 for 24 non-profit charities. The success of the inaugural event inspired Equestrian Sport Productions to set a fundraising goal of $1 million for the 2011 FTI Great Charity Challenge presented by Fidelity Investments, which is a featured event of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.

The Great Charity Challenge (GCC) is a relay style jumping competition that is scheduled to take place at 6:00 p.m. on February 19, 2011 in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Thirty relay teams will be formed, consisting of two junior/amateur riders and one professional rider. Each equestrian team is assigned a charity to represent, and the charity matched with the winning team will win over $100,000!

The event will also host the Equestrian Aid Foundation Carnival, where children can enjoy carnival games, a dunk tank, a moon bounce, and more. In the true spirit of giving, the EAF will contribute half of the proceeds received from the Carnival to the total prize money awarded to the 30 charities participating in the GCC. The other half of the proceeds will be contributed to the Equestrian Aid Foundation.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12969

Calling All Charities! The Great Charity Challenge Is Back and Bigger Than Ever in 2011

Wellington, FL – October 15, 2010 – Equestrian Sport Productions and the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) are offering the chance of a lifetime to charities serving Palm Beach County. The FTI WEF will once again host the Great Charity Challenge on the evening of Saturday, February 19, and this year the goal is to raise a tremendous amount of $1 million, all of which will be donated to charity.

The Great Charity Challenge (GCC) is an exhilarating pro/am relay style jumping competition that will take place under the lights in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center to benefit 30 non-profit charities. 2010 was the event’s inaugural year, and over $560,000 was raised and donated to 24 charities that were randomly selected to participate in the event.

Teams, which are generously sponsored by families and individuals, consist of two junior/amateur riders and are anchored by one Olympic or world-class rider. Each equestrian team is assigned a charity to represent, and the charity matched with the winning team of riders will win over $100,000!

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