The 16th Annual Great Charity Challenge, sponsored by Fidelity Investments, a cornerstone event of the Winter Equestrian Festival at Wellington International, recently selected 28 Palm Beach County nonprofits to benefit from its transformative philanthropic competition. Scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at 6 p.m., the competition will coincide with WEF’s Saturday Night Lights, offering an evening of world-class equestrian sport, community support and family friendly entertainment.
On Wednesday, Dec. 18, a lottery selection process was held at Wellington International and streamed live on the Great Charity Challenge Facebook and Instagram pages to determine this year’s nonprofit beneficiaries. Each selected organization will be paired with a generous sponsor and a dedicated team of riders to compete for their cause.
This year’s event aims to raise and redistribute more than $2 million to selected charities, turning local dreams into reality. Every participating charity is guaranteed a donation, with prizes ranging from $15,000 for the last-place team to $100,000 for the first-place team. This year’s theme, “Global Music,” shines a spotlight on underfunded arts programs, furthering the GCC’s mission of empowering vulnerable populations.
Over the past 15 years, the GCC has distributed $21.7 million to 339 Palm Beach County nonprofits, transforming lives and strengthening communities.
In addition to its main competition, the GCC will distribute smaller grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to selected nonprofits during the opening weeks of the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival. These grants, awarded through a random selection process, aim to further extend the GCC’s reach and impact.
The 2025 beneficiaries include: Bella’s Promise Pet Rescue, Best Buddies International, Big Dog Ranch Rescue, the Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County, the Center for Trauma Counseling, Connections High School and Vocation Center, Florence Fuller Child Development Centers, the Florida Outreach Center for the Blind, Fresh Rx, Friends of Palm Beach, the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, Hope 4 Mobility, Horses Healing Hearts, Jeff Industries, the Leeds Foundation, Little Smiles, the Live Like Jake Foundation, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Morningday Community Solutions, Pathways to Prosperity, PROPEL, Sea Turtle Adventures, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Arc of Palm Beach County, the George Snow Scholarship Fund, the Pearl Mae Foundation, the Village of Hope of Palm Beach County and Youth Empowered to Prosper.
Four additional nonprofits were also randomly selected to each receive a $10,000 grant: CROS Ministries, Father Flanagan’s Boys Home, Friends of Fisher House and the Twin Palms Center for the Disabled.
For more info., visit www.greatcharitychallenge.com to donate, sponsor or learn more about how you can #BeTheChange. Contributions can range from $50 to over $100,000, with customized sponsorships starting at $500. Every dollar raised supports Palm Beach County nonprofits. Donors, sponsors and Wellington International, which provides the venue, staff and infrastructure, ensure that 100 percent of all funds are redistributed within the community.
