Southeast Florida Honor Flight will host the popular Buck Off Challenge, the largest fundraiser for the nonprofit that pays tribute to America’s veterans, on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater.
The Buck Off Challenge is an entertaining, family-friendly competition showcasing a lively mechanical bull against more than a dozen four-member teams.
A limited number of VIP tables of eight are available for $600, and single VIP reserved seats are available for $75. VIP tickets include dinner and a cash bar. General admission is based on an optional donation; bringing your own chairs is encouraged.
Sponsorship opportunities are available, ranging from $500 to $15,000. The Buck Off Challenge is being co-sponsored by the Village of Wellington for the third consecutive year. Additional major sponsors include philanthropists Sanjiv Sharma and Nadine Allen, Madison Sport Horses, Soldier Rush and Triple Crown Properties. In-kind sponsors are Bolay of Wellington and PDQ of Wellington.
To register a team, or purchase tickets, visit www.honorflightsefl.org/events.
The Buck Off Challenge benefits Southeast Florida Honor Flight, an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that flies World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans from Palm Beach International Airport to Washington, D.C., four times a year free of charge to visit the memorials built to honor their service and sacrifices.
The Honor Flight is a day devoted to honoring the local men and women who served in conflicts around the globe. For the veterans, it is a day to reflect on those heroes who 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 the nation, for stepping up when the world needed them most and for helping to preserve our freedoms and way of life.
Four-person teams compete in the Buck Off Challenge, where individual rides are tallied 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 always keeping one hand in the air, and the style of the ride. Higher scores can be achieved for character, team spirit and costumes. Prizes are awarded to the top three teams. The entry fee is $100 per team.
Other awards include Most Entertaining Team, Highest Scoring Youth (age 12 and under), Highest Scoring Rookie and Highest Scoring Individual that did not place in any other category.
Last year’s event raised more than $44,000, and each flight cost about $140,000. The first two flights in 2024 are scheduled for April 6 and May 18.
The Buck Off Challenge is a fundraising event designed and produced by Wellington’s Bobbi Rottman of Eques Solutions, a full-service marketing agency catering to the luxury and equestrian industries. Rottman and her team started the event more than 10 years ago. Southeast Florida Honor Flight has been the beneficiary for the last six years.
For more information about Southeast Florida Honor Flight, visit www.honorflightsefl.org.
