WELLINGTON — The 12th annual Great Charity Challenge was a welcome relief for Palm Beach County charities during these trying times.
“It’s been such a solemn, serious time because of the pandemic,” said Canadian show jumper Tiffany Foster, who dressed as Dr. Anthony Fauci with a gray wig and eyeglasses. “It’s nice to be here for fun like this for a good cause.”
Before a near-empty International Arena at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center because of pandemic safety protocols, 23 pro-am combination teams competed for a share of more than $1 million in prize money for local nonprofit organizations.
The theme of the Great Charity Challenge was “Heroes.” Horses and riders dressed in costumes honoring those who have made an impact this past year, including Fauci, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Some riders dressed as syringe needles, toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Others dressed as doctors, nurses, firefighters, lifeguards, farmers, grocery stores, food and delivery services including Delivery Dudes, UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service.
There were also longtime favorites Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel and The Incredible Hulk. Messages were also written on the horses including “Thank You Heroes.”
Each three-rider team featured junior and amateur riders competing with a top pro, including Olympians. The teams were paired with randomly selected Palm Beach County charities.
The two-hour event attracted a large virtual audience of fans and charity supporters to one of the Winter Equestrian Festival’s most popular events. Online donations were accepted for the first time.
A moment of silence was held before the event to recognize those lives lost to the pandemic.
Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam/Heart on Fire, Lindsey Tomeu/Bonapart and Ashley Vogel/Lucy in the Sky, wearing camouflage fatigues to represent the U.S. Army, won with the fastest time of 91.664 seconds over 21 fences and earned $100,000 for the YWCA of Palm Beach County. The team — which also won in 2016, 2017 and 2018 — was sponsored by Spy Coast and Preston and corporate sponsor Diamante Dressage.
“We are elated,” said Shay Spencer, executive director of the YWCA of Palm Beach County. “We have been live streaming all night, and we are so thankful to the sponsors, the supporters, the riders, everyone who live streamed, and especially to the GCC for putting this all together.”
Spencer said the $100,000 will be earmarked for the Women’s Health Institute, a new initiative that targets the disparities women face in the health industry.
“Every year it’s a great event and it’s a great cause for the community, especially this year,” Sweetnam said. “I know it probably wasn’t easy to organize, but these charities need it more than ever this year.”
In direct response to the effect COVID-19 has had on the community, this year’s event presented by Fidelity Investments was committed to shifting a majority of its funding priorities toward local non-profits directly supporting and assisting the most vulnerable and affected populations in Palm Beach County.
“Seeing the level of need in our community and knowing how difficult the past year has been, we quickly realized that we couldn’t turn our backs on our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Mark Bellissimo, who co-founded the Great Charity Challenge with his daughter, Paige.
“We are truly grateful to see that the community was able to adapt to this format while stepping up to provide crucial funding to local organizations,” Bellissimo said.
Over 12 years, the Great Charity Challenge has raised $15,928,227 for 276 local non-profit organizations.
