| WELLINGTON, Fla.— Some equestrians face a different set of hurdles. On Saturday, March 10, Douglas Elliman CEO Dottie Herman, President and COO Scott Durkin, COO of Florida Brokerage Gus Rubio, Stephen Larkin Vice President of Douglas Elliman Public Relations and Managing Broker, Wellington, Palm Beach and Jupiter Don Langdon ponied up with Grand Prix Show Jumping Champion Georgina Bloomberg and Give Back for Special Equestrians to spur donations and awareness for children and veterans with disabilities during the Douglas Elliman Winter Equestrian Festival $384,00 Grand Prix.
More than $15,000 was raised at the lavish ringside competition and galain Wellington, Florida for Give Back for Special Equestrians www.giveabuckeq.org a nonprofit 501C3 whose mission is to provide equine assisted and therapeutic horseback riding scholarships in Florida and in New York for those facing some of life’s most difficult challenges like Autism, paralysis, Spina Bifida and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Douglas Elliman’s Ms. Herman presented the winning trophy of the $384,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix to rider Daniel Coyle of Ireland aboard his mount, Cita. Afterwards Mr. Durkin, a passionate horsemen, welcomed guests and introduced Dr. Heather Kuhl, who joined Sissy DeMaria and Isabel Ernst in founding the all-volunteer charity, to begin the evening’s program. “The Winter Equestrian Festival event is in step with Douglas Elliman’s mission to stand in support of friends, agents and clients in the equestrian arena as well as important charities, like Give Back for Special Equestrians within the communities we serve,” said Durkin. “We are proud to align our philanthropic efforts with such a wonderful cause.” As part of the program Dr. Peggy Bass, a board member of Give Back for Special Equestrians and the executive director of Good Hope Equestrian Center, a therapeutic stable supported by Give Back for Special Equestrian extolled the life-changing benefits of equine assisted and therapeutic horseback riding for people with disabilities such as improving balance, posture and eye-hand coordination as well as self-esteem, self-confidence and self-control. Guests heard heartwarming stories of healing from special needs rider Natalia C. Cercone, and Christina Simmons, mother of Ethan Simmons age 5, recipients of recent Give Back for Special Equestrians scholarships. Among those in attendance included: Georgina Bloomberg, Carlos Arruza Jr, Shai Tertner and Andrew Werner, David Luben, Cari Anderson, Doris Neyra, Dwigh Kuhl, Alfono Goyeneche, Munisha Underhill, Kyle Olson, Tiffany Morrisey, Cheryl Ernst, and Rodrigo Pessoa. “We are immensely grateful to Douglas Elliman, Georgina Bloomberg, Sidelines magazine, 3550 South Ocean in Palm Beach and Mandarin Oriental in Boca Raton. Thanks to their support we will be able to offer 15 annual therapeutic riding scholarships for deserving special needs horsemen. Through their benevolence we are able to pay forward the joy we have for horses and horsemanship to offer more children and veterans living with mental, cognitive or emotional disabilities direct access to ‘horsepower’ that heals.” said Sissy DeMaria-Koehne, Founder of Give a Buck for Special Equestrians. Give Back for Special Equestrians, formerly known as Give a Buck for Special Equestrians, is a Florida-based nonprofit 501C3, whose mission is to provide therapeutic horseback riding and equine-assisted scholarships for disabled children and veterans throughout Florida and New York. The all-volunteer charity founded in 2013 by Sissy DeMaria-Koehne, along with Dr. Heather Kuhl and Isabel Ernst, aims to share in the joy of horses and horsemanship with those suffering from physical, mental and emotional difficulties so they can experience the many benefits of therapeutic and equine-assisted horseback riding. ###About Douglas Elliman Real Estate Established in 1911, Douglas Elliman Real Estate is the largest brokerage in the New York Metropolitan area and the fourth largest residential real estate company nationwide. With more than 7,000 agents, the company operates approximately 113 offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, New Jersey, Long Island, the Hamptons & North Fork, Westchester, Greenwich, South Florida,Boston, Colorado and California. Moreover, Douglas Elliman has a strategic global alliance with London-based Knight Frank Residential for business in the worldwide luxury markets spanning 60 countries and six continents. The company also controls a portfolio of real estate services including Douglas Elliman Development Marketing; Manhattan’s largest residential property manager, Douglas Elliman Property Management with over 250 buildings; and DE Commercial. For more information on Douglas Elliman as well as expert commentary on emerging trends in the real estate industry, please visit elliman.com. About Give Back for Special Equestrians Give Back for Special Equestrians, formerly Give a Buck for Special Equestrians, is a Florida-based nonprofit 501©3. The all-volunteer organization founded by Sissy DeMaria-Koehne, Dr. Heather Kuhl and Isabel Ernst in Vero Beach, Florida in 2013, provides therapeutic horseback riding and equine assisted scholarships for disabled children and veterans through its partner stables in New York and Florida. Give Back for Special Equestrians aims to share the joy of horses and horsemanship with those facing some of life’s most difficult physical, emotional and mental challenges and enable them to experience the life changing benefits of horsepower that heals. Through its Young Ambassador program, youth between the of ages 7-17 are encouraged to pay forward their blessings through active volunteerism. Young Ambassadors meet monthly during the school year and assist with a variety of fund and “friend” raising activities. For more information please visit www.giveabuckeq.org |