Palm Beach Atlantic Business Students Run Kids Fun Zone
at International Polo Club
Wellington, Fla. (May 15, 2014) – Enterprising business students from Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU) in West Palm Beach, Fla., accepted the challenge of running the popular Kids Fun Zone at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, and the result was a triumphant achievement.
For successfully running the club’s Kids Fun Zone during the 16-week polo season, the three students – all attend PBAU’s Rinker School of Business – were awarded scholarships by the International Polo Club (IPC) to travel to Prague for a nine-day business course and cultural tour in May.
“These students run a tight business model, providing new activities and special events every week that were fun, resourceful, and creative. This year’s programs included the South Florida Science Museum, face painting, ponies, a petting zoo, a fire truck and education about fires, interactive sports, a giant slide, bounce houses, and a rock climbing wall,” said John Wash, president of the International Polo Club. “We are proud of the fine job they did managing every aspect of the Kids Fun Zone, and we are pleased to present to them a check for over $10, 200,” said Wash.
Angie Moreau, Madison Murehak, and Kevin Reifler were the core team running the Kids Fun Zone every Sunday for four months, so parents could spend a relaxing day enjoying high-goal polo matches on the field. The weekly average of participants was 35 children, with the Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship® spiking the number to 50. The team recruited student athletes at PBAU to organize soccer, tennis, and other sports to interact with the children and keep them entertained.
“Planning, budgeting, contacting, and negotiating contracts with the vendors, oversight of the children, scheduling events, managing the events on-site, troubleshooting, and marketing is like running a small business. They did a fantastic job in raising money and awareness about the service,” said Dr. Ann Langlois, an associate professor at the Rinker School of Business, who oversees the scholarship program with the International Polo Club.
The service cost parents only $10 – but it was all profit to the students’ scholarships. All monies saved under their $1,000 weekly budget was kept and applied toward their scholarships. This season, the students created enough profit and savings to cover the full cost of the trip to Prague, according to Dr. Langlois.
This is the third year the International Polo Club has offered scholarships to Rinker business students. Last year’s participants used the Kids Fun Zone experience to fund a 10-day trip to Brazil. “The IPC scholarship program has given our students a chance to run a business, travel abroad, and expand their knowledge of international business,” said Dr. Langlois. “It’s a great opportunity. The students learn leadership skills that will prove invaluable after college.”