CENTRAL PARK HORSE SHOW PRESENTED BY ROLEX DONATES TO FIVE NEW YORK CITY CHARITIES
New York, NY (September 19, 2014) – As part of its charitable component for the Central Park Horse Show, Presented by Rolex, Mark Bellissimo, owner and publisher of event organizer Chronicle of the Horse magazine and CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions, owner operator of the renowned Winter Equestrian Festival, the world’s largest show jumping equestrian competition located in Wellington, FL, today presented a total of $80,000 in charitable donations to five different New York City not-for-profit organizations designated as official beneficiaries of first-ever, outdoor four-day equestrian sporting event in Central Park.
In a ceremony that preceded the “NYC vs. The World” pro-am speed challenge presented by Donald J. Trump, Bellissimo presented oversized checks in the amount of $25,000 each to the Police Athletic League NYC and the City Parks Foundation, and $10,000 each to Gallop NYC, NYC Parks Mounted Auxiliary and the New York City Police Foundation.
“Each of these charities do incredible for work their communities and help the City of New York in innumerable ways, ” said Mark Bellissimo. “New York has welcomed the Central Park Horse Show unconditionally and in an amazing way, and we are proud to be able to give back to the city that has helped us chart new territory for equestrian sport.”
Since 1914 the Police Athletic League has been serving New York City’s youth with safe, structured programming designed to engage boys and girls in positive activities that improve their quality of life, present developmental opportunities, and offer the prospect of a brighter future. PAL is New York City’s largest independent youth development not-for-profit organization that operates head start/day care, after-school, evening teen, summer day camp, youth employment, truancy prevention, juvenile justice and re-entry, city-wide sports, play streets and part-time centers, food service, and adventure learning programs for pre-school kids, children and adolescents ages 3 to 19. In its 100th year of service, PAL is continuing its evolution and remaining a vibrant and vital NYC institution.
City Parks Foundation is the only nonprofit organization to create programs in parks throughout all five boroughs of New York City, enriching and connecting New Yorkers through free and accessible arts, sports, education and community-building initiatives.
GallopNYC brings the proven benefits of therapeutic horsemanship to children and adults with disabilities in NYC. Through weekly riding sessions with PATH-certified instructors, GallopNYC helps riders walk, talk, connect, focus, behave, and learn, encouraging each one to live life as fully, productively, and independently as possible. Executive Director Alicia Kershaw accepted the check for GallopNYC (photo available).
NYC PEP Mounted Auxiliary was founded in 1996 by a small group of volunteers who wanted to give their time and energy to provide a service to New York City. Today its provides a clearly visible presence in the NYC Parks and monitor those areas that are not accessible by vehicles. We deter, identify, and report illegal or unsafe activities and are an informational resource to the public. President Mark Elkins accepted the check for NYC PEP Mounted Auxiliary (photo available).
The New York City Police Foundation, Inc. was established in 1971 by business and civic leaders as an independent, non-profit organization to promote excellence in the NYPD and improve public safety in New York City. The Police Foundation supports programs designed to help the NYPD keep pace with rapidly evolving technology, strategies and training. The New York City Police Foundation provides resources that are not readily available through other means – to date over $120 million has been invested in 400+ innovative NYPD programs. Sgt. Dan Hussey and Chairperson Susan Birnbaum accepted the check for NYC Police Foundation, Inc. (photo available)
The Central Park Horse Show, presented by Rolex, is the first-ever outdoor, four-day equestrian sporting event showcasing some of the best show jumpers and dressage riders in the world as they vie for top prizes against a backdrop of skyscrapers in one of the world’s most iconic venues, the Trump Rink in New York City’s Central Park. Highlights of the event have included the $210,000 Rolex Central Park Grand Prix, presented by Rolex on Thursday September 18; Friday Night’s “NYC vs. the World” pro/am team speed challenge presented by Donald J. Trump; Saturday’s Central Park Dressage Challenge presented by Axel Johnson Group; and finally, Sunday will include the U.S. Polo Assn. Central Park Polo Challenge featuring some of the world’s top players. Matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 9 am and 12 pm feature different equestrian performances and exhibitions, featuring Australian horseman extraordinaire Guy McLean, that celebrate the magic and majesty of the horse.
For more information, please visit www.centralparkhorseshow.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CPhorseshow and follow @cphorseshow on Twitter and Instagram.