Popular Buck Off Challenge to Benefit Southeast Florida Honor Flight
Scheduled for Friday, March 13 at Wellington National Golf Club
Wellington, FL (February 10, 2020) – American hero and World War II Army veteran Carmin Yannotta of West Palm Beach, who survived D-Day on Normandy Beach and the Battle of the Bulge, is a familiar figure at the annual Buck Off Challenge that raises money for the Southeast Florida Honor Flight.
Yannotta, who turns 96 on August 14, will be one of the judges at the popular Buck Off Challenge, a family-friendly mechanical bull-riding competition, scheduled for Friday, March 13 at 6:45 p.m. at Wellington National Golf Club at 400 Binks Forest Drive in Wellington. Practice rides begin at 6 p.m. and are $10 each.
There will also be a separate practice time on Thursday, March 14 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the golf club, sponsored by Happy Endings Farm. All practice rides are $10 per person.
Both nights are open to the public to support the organization and local veterans.
The Buck Off Challenge benefits the Stuart-based Southeast Florida Honor Flight, an all-volunteer, 501c3 non-profit organization that flies World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials built to honor their service and sacrifices.
Four-person teams compete in the Buck Off Challenge, where individual rides are scored by a panel of celebrity judges and totaled to determine the winning team. Riders are scored on their ability to stay on the bull while keeping one hand in the air at all times and the style of the ride. Higher scores may be achieved for character, team “spirit” and costumes. Prizes are awarded to the top three teams.
A limited number of individual reserved seats are available: $50 for adults and $25 for children under 12, includes a BBQ dinner buffet and cash bar. General admission/unreserved seating tickets are $10 each.
The entry fee is $200 per team, which includes a BBQ buffet dinner, and a cash bar or $100 per team just to compete.
All tickets can be purchased at www.honorflightsefl.org. To register a team, please contact event director Bobbi Rottman at 561-436-1165 or via email at [email protected].
Several veterans are expected to attend the Buck Off Challenge.
The main sponsors are philanthropists Sanjiv Sharma and Nadine Allen of Highland Beach, Professional Bank, Janet Hoose, Carolex Stables, IDA Development, IDA Farm, Happy Endings Farm, Carl Schachter of Northwestern Mutual, Laas Equestrian Real Estate and Texas de Brazil.
The next trip for Southeast Florida Honor Flight is scheduled for Saturday, April 11 — a day devoted to honoring local men and women who served our country in conflicts around the globe. For the veterans, it is a day to reflect on those heroes that never came home, on connecting with fellow military compatriots, on the fact that America has not forgotten them. For everyone else, it is day focused on thanking these courageous men and women for serving our nation, for stepping up when the world needed them most and for helping to preserve our freedom and way of life.
“The veterans are treated like rock stars on their Honor Flight,” said Southeast Florida Honor Flight chairman Janet Hoose of Lake Worth. “I’m honored and privileged to help honor these heroes. The Buck Off Challenge is a fun way to raise money to help our veterans.”
There will also be a silent auction and several vendors on Friday night.
This event is organized by Eques Solutions. For more information about Southeast Florida Honor Flight, visit www.honorflightsefl.org, www.facebook.com/honorflight or contact event director Bobbi Rottman at 561-436-1165 or [email protected].