New event pairs nonprofits with equine sports

On hand for the Children’s Charity Classic pairing event on Feb. 6 was celebrity pairing drawer Rashad Jones of Big Lee’s Serious About BBQ, left, with nonprofit Pearl Project representatives Stephen Zedler, Rachel Dicks and Brooke Cole. [Photo courtesy United Way of Marion County]

If the recent festive pairing party was any indication, guests at the inaugural Children’s Charity Classic will be in for a real treat.

The event on Feb. 21 at the HITS Post Time Farm west of Ocala is a show-jumping event that will blend equestrian sports and philanthropy. The classic, organized by United Way of Marion County, will feature riders and horses adorned in fun costumes, fostering a sense of team spirit and camaraderie.

The event was envisioned two years ago by Niki Tripodi, United Way’s vice president of resource development, who saw an equestrian event that combined a love of horses and philanthropy and felt it would be a good fit for Ocala. Each participating organization in the classic was selected from a pool of applicants that proposed innovative programs to support children and families.

The selected agencies and programs are Arnette House, Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, Episcopal Children’s Services, Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection, Pearl Project, SMA Healthcare and United Way’s Community Partnership School, Reading Pals and Strong Families initiatives.

During the pairing event, celebrity “drawers” selected cards at random and announced which agency would be partnered with which rider. Each team also was assigned a children’s classic book with which to carry out a theme in costumes. Each organization could receive between $10,000 and $30,000, based on how well the horse representing them performs in the classic.

The pairings are:
• Arnette House, Dana Waters, “Harry Potter”
• Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, Annie Dotoli, “Where the Wild Things Are”
• Community Partnership Schools, Morgan Ward, “Pippi Longstocking”
• Early Learning Coalition, Megan Wexler, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
• Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection, Patty Foster, “Peter Pan and Wendy”
• The Pearl Project, Tracy Fenney, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
• Reading Pals, David Jennings, “Curious George”
• Episcopal Children’s Services, Dorrie Douglas, “Charlotte’s Web”
• SMA Healthcare, Emil Spadone, “Cat in the Hat”
• Strong Families, Lee Hughes, “Mary Poppins”

Jan Hathaway, coordinator for the Reading Pals program, said the statewide initiative was established in Marion County in 2012.

“We serve 18 different elementary schools. We are in kindergarten, Pre-K and first grade this year. We have provided more than 45,000 books since we started in 2012,” she said.

Hathaway explained that children are read to for one hour twice a week. They have the opportunity to work with their Reading Pal and when they are finished, they take the book home to build their private library. The program currently has 98 volunteers and more are always needed.

“So, when children start with us in September and go through May, they will have 22 books given to them for their library. Money from this event will help buy more books. Right now, we are providing 170 books a week,” she added.

HCA Florida Health is the Grand Prix Society Sponsor for the classic.

“We at HCA Florida Healthcare seek to help make the future better for all of our children. In this case, the Children’s Charity Classic will generate critical financial assistance for worthwhile organizations that serve and advocate for many children who struggle with health, economic or educational challenges. That’s why we encourage everyone to attend and support this free, family-friendly event,” said HCA Florida Ocala Hospital CEO Alan Keesee.

The HITS Post Time Farm is located at 13710 N Highway 27, Ocala. The event will include vendors and displays. Guests are invited to dress in costume to support their favorite team and the book it represents. The gates will open at 4:30 p.m. The event starts at 6 p.m. There is no assigned seating, so guests should bring blankets or chairs.

The event is free to attend but attendees can pre-order tickets at tickettailor.com/events/childrenscharityclassic/1510892. United Way is asking for a $10 cash donation for parking, which will be donated to the classic.

To learn more, go to uwmc.org/childrens-charity-classic and find the event on social media.

Joining the fun during the pairing party were, from left, United Way of Marion County board member Kristy Rowland and President/CEO Bob Haight, with UWMC board chair and HCA Ocala Florida Hospital CEO Alan Keesee, HCA’s Kaitlyn Wilson-Butler and Bill Thompson. [Photo courtesy United Way of Marion County]