Give Back For Special Equestrians Lassoes In $15,000 For disabled
Source: Miami Community Newspapers
By: Cristina Bermudez
Photo: Miami Community Newspapers
Give Back for Special Equestrians is riding high after lassoing in $15,000 for disabled children and veterans at the non-profit’s first Miami event, held ahead of the important GiveMiami Day.
Co-hosted by equine enthusiasts and philanthropists Christy Powell and Nancy Batchelor, along with Give Back for Special Equestrians’ co-founder Sissy DeMaria Koehne, the event held at the Coral Gables Museum featured an informative discussion about the history of horses in Coral Gables by noted historians Arva Moore Parks McCabe and Malcolm Lauredo.
Proceeds from the event benefitted Give Back for Special Equestrians, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization which provides therapeutic horseback riding scholarships for disabled children and veterans in Florida and New York. During the event, Give Back for Special Equestrians presented the $15,000 check to Good Hope Equestrian Training Center, its stable partner that provides equine-assisted therapy programs.
More than 100 guests, including local history buffs and horse lovers, enjoyed a nostalgic journey back in time to the 1920’s. A series of historic photos and newspaper articles depicted the City Beautiful’s rich equestrian legacy: elaborate fox hunting parties at the Biltmore Hotel, show jumping at the Coral Gables Riding Academy and scenic trail riding and picnics along the city’s many dedicated bridle paths.
Notable attendees included Dr. Patrick and Jonie Gallagher, Dr. Guenther Koehne, Carol and Jim Robinson, Alirio Torrealba, Lauren Harrison, Mary Young, and Mary Snow, among others.
Event goers enjoyed decadent hors d’oeuvres from one of Miami’s top catering companies, Blue Mustard, as they learned about Coral Gables founder George Merrick’s vision for the city in the 1920s, his interest in horses and their importance in the well-rounded social and sporting lifestyle he envisioned for the city.