Crowd-pleasing Buck Off Challenge Benefits Southeast Florida Honor Flight
With Successful Bull-Riding Competition at Wellington National Golf Club
Photos by Alex Stark
Wellington, FL (March 18, 2019) – From 3-year-old Aubrey Trisjano, the youngest rider, to 100-year-old World War II Army Air Corps veteran Pete Peterson watching from a VIP table, the second annual Buck Off Challenge was an awe-inspiring success for all ages.
The Buck Off Challenge was held Friday (March 15) at Wellington National Golf Club before a raucous crowd of more than 300 guests that included numerous heroes, and raised more than $27,000 for the Stuart-based Southeast Florida Honor Flight. The veterans on site received several standing ovations throughout the evening as the appreciative audience thanked them repeatedly for their service and sacrifice.
The next trip for Southeast Florida Honor Flight, a 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 sacrifice, is scheduled for Saturday, April 13.
Twelve-year-old Trent Ferrier earned a perfect 100 score in the one-man buck-off to give The Real Bucking Deal a thrilling overtime victory for the second consecutive year.
Northwestern Mutual Ninjas, dressed as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, used their super powers to force a ride-off. Shah Qureshi led off with a 99 but was bested by Ferrier’s perfect score.
Celebrity judges were former WPTV News Channel 5 anchor Roxanne Stein, Equestrian Sport Productions President Michael Stone and Toby Basore, a vegetable grower in western Palm Beach County and a member of the Farm Credit of Florida board of directors. But the biggest celebrity and crowd favorite among the judges was 94-year-old World War II veteran Carmin Yannotta.
The audience cheered extra loud encouragement for the youngsters under 6 years old who participated and added another layer of genuineness – and cuteness — to the cause. Their determination led to several veterans to tame the bull with their rides.
The main sponsors of the Buck Off Challenge were philanthropists Sanjiv Sharma and Nadine Allen, who live in Highland Beach and regularly support local and national charities relating to food, health and education, as well as Southeast Florida Honor Flight Vice Chairman Janet Hoose, president of Fort Lauderdale-based Fuel Facility Management.
Other major sponsors included Carl Schachter with Northwestern Mutual, Happy Endings Farm, Alpine Farms South, PNC Wealth Management, Brian Lookabill with Envisian Products, and Jolie Burrell Consulting, LLC. Wellington National Golf Club also donated a portion of the proceeds from the asado-style buffet and beverages sold during the event.
The event was designed and produced by Bobbi Rottman of Eques Solutions.
For more information about Southeast Florida Honor Flight, visit www.honorflightsefl.org. or www.facebook.com/honorflight.