Wellington, FL - On Saturday, March 17, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., the Special Olympics in Palm Beach County will have their competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Ring 6. Fifty-five riders will compete in classes that include English and Western Equitation, Dressage, Trail, Prix Caprilli (a combination of Dressage with jumps) and a special encore performance of the Vinceremos Superhero Drill Team at 11:45 a.m. Following the competition, the riders will participate in a parade of champions in the International Arena.
The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center is the training home for Palm Beach County Special Olympic Equestrian Team. Along with riders from VTRC, special guests from the Chateaublond Equestrian Center in Haiti will be present to compete in the competition. At The Wellington Club at noon, there will be a special fundraising luncheon and silent auction to benefit Friends of the Orphans and the special needs children of the Chateaublond Equestrian Center in Haiti. Tables of 6 and individual seats are available at the luncheon ($300/$50) and all contributions are tax-deductible.
The event is generously sponsored by The Bellissimo Family and Equestrian Sport Productions along with the Tisbo Family and Tequestrian Farms.
Event Chair and Chateaublond Equestrian Center founder Romy Tschudi-Roy stated, "Your support makes a world of difference in the life of a special needs child."
Ruth Menor, Executive Director of Vinceremos and Romy Tschudi-Roy from Chateaublond Equestrian Center in Haiti have worked together to make sure that the Haitian riders have a competition to attend.
"Our riders have been preparing for this competition with the same enthusiasm and dedication as the riders competing in the Grand Prix here at the FTI WEF. Their successes are shared by many - their parents, the volunteers, those who support Vinceremos and their loyal equine partners!" says Ruth Menor, Executive Director of VTRC.
Menor added, "Vinceremos would also like to take this opportunity to thank Katherine and Mark Bellissimo and the many sponsors and riders who supported the 3rd Annual FTI Consulting Great Charity Challenge presented by Fidelity Investments®. We are always so thankful for the support of the equestrian community and the Bellissimo's interest and generosity in our community and all of its residents."
Judges for the event will include Katherine and Nicole Bellissimo, Chris Gillman, plus others that will be announced soon.
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Vinceremos serves a wide range of clients with disabilities. Little ones as young as two years old all the way up through adults in their 70s regularly attend the program for recreation or therapy. People diagnosed with cerebral palsy, cognitive impairments, autism, head injury, and stroke have all benefited from Vinceremos programs. Vinceremos will also house the United States Para-Equestrian Team while they are in Florida this season to compete for the 2012 London Para - Olympics. Each week between 125-150 riders come to Vinceremos for services. Over the course of the year, Vinceremos serves over 400 different individuals. These riders come from all over Palm Beach County. Vinceremos has riders who attend the center from group homes, Palm Beach School for Autism, and Western Pines Middle School. This week an inclusion program started with Wellington High School. The school is bringing their special education students and typical students as volunteers. This program's intent is to create interaction between these students.
About Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center
Founded in 1982, Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center is a 501c3 not for profit corporation which was organized to provide recreational and therapeutic horseback riding to those with disabilities. Vinceremos means "to overcome" or "to conquer" in Latin. The horses' gentle nature and rhythmic movement, our staff's extensive expertise and countless volunteer hours have helped hundreds of riders conquer the challenges associated with their disabilities. Riding offers a unique opportunity for those with limitations to be empowered with a sense of pride, accomplishment and independence. The Vinceremos program teaches riding skills using the horse as a therapeutic and instructional tool. Riding Improves: Strength, postural control and core balance; Motor skills and function; Concentration; Self-esteem and sense accomplishment; and Communication and enhances social skills.
In 2012 Vinceremos will celebrate its 30th anniversary, a significant milestone in any organization's history. This year a one-acre covered arena was built. This arena will allow us to provide year-round service to our riders, regardless of the weather, and is spacious enough to allow for three rings working simultaneously and extend classes into the evening hours. Therapeutic carriage driving will be added to this year's programs at Vinceremos. The next event will be the area games on April 1 at the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, where seven counties will compete in preparation for the State Games in May.
For more information, please visit www.vinceremos.com.
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.7 million athletes in more than 170 countries. Special Olympics competitions are held every day, all over the world-including local, national and regional competitions, adding up to about 50,000 events a year.
For more information, please visit www.specialolympics.org.
About Chateaublond Equestrian Center
Chateaublond Equestrian Center currently serves 120 children each week and that number is expected to grow. Less than 1,000 miles from the U.S., Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Very little is done to raise awareness of the plight of severely disabled children in Haiti or to help improve their lives. Founded in Mexico in 1954, the "Our Little Brothers and Sisters" (NPFS) provides homes and hope to thousands of orphaned, abandoned, and disadvantaged children in Latin American and the Caribbean. NPFS Haiti opened in 1987 and helped found the Chateaublond Equestrian Center with Romy Tschudi-Roy in 2004.
For more information, please visit www.friendsoftheorphans.org.
To RSVP for the fundraising luncheon, please call Event Chair Romy Tschudi-Roy at 954-643-8678 or email romyiec@hotmail.com.
