The Children’s Charity Classic show jumping competition on Feb. 21 kicked off a new equine/philanthropy tradition for Ocala and Marion County.
The event took place at the HITS Post Time Farm west of Ocala. The event, organized by United Way of Marion County, featured riders and horses adorned in costumes based on classic children’s books.
The winning “Harry Potter” team, with rider Dana Waters teamed with the nonprofit Arnette House, brought home $30,000. The other nonprofits, riders, themes and donations were:
- Strong Families, Lee Hughes, “Mary Poppins,” $15,000
- The Pearl Project, Tracey Fenney, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” $10,000
- SMA Health Care, Emil Spadone Redfield, “Cat in the Hat,” $8,000
- Episcopal Children’s Services, Dorrie Douglas, “Charlotte’s Web,” $7,000
- Earning $5,000 each were the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, Annie Dotoli, “Where the Wild Things Are”; Early Learning Coalition, Meagan Wexler, “Wizard of Oz”: Community Partnership Schools, Morgan Ward, “Pippi Longstocking”; Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection, Patty Foster, “Peter Pan”: and Reading Pals, David Jennings, “Curious George”
The team awards from the event totaled $95,000. An additional $5,000 came from a match for peer-to-peer fundraising.
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.
