“Fairy tales can come true,” said Mark Bellissimo, co-founder of the Great Charity Challenge, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions and majority partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners.
Thirty-four charities from Palm Beach County are in for a treat Saturday, Feb. 6 at the seventh annual Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, starting at 6 p.m.
Last year, there were 32 charities taking part. The GCC team was approached by more sponsors, allowing them to add more teams, Bellissimo explained.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to celebrate all the great things that exist in the community and how everyone is working collaboratively to improve the lives of people across all kinds of dimensions, whether it’s social, physical or environmental,” he said. “There’s all kinds of elements we hope to highlight within an event like this. We really do want the community to come out for it.”
By the end of the night, 34 charities will walk away with funding that will, like a fairy godmother’s magic wand, have the ability to truly make a difference. Every charity walks away with something — the minimum prize is $15,000.
The Great Charity Challenge is the brainchild of Bellissimo and his daughter Paige, and executed by Equestrian Sport Productions and Wellington Equestrian Partners, along with GCC Executive Director Anne Caroline Valtin.
Paige, now 24 years old, a jumper, was only 17 when she saw the opportunity for the equestrian community to give back to Palm Beach County. Paired with her father’s business expertise, they created an unforgettable night full of laughter, fun, hope and, most importantly, change.
Each of the 34 charities is paired with professional and amateur riders at the free, family-friendly event, which has raised and distributed more than $7.5 million to more than 150 local charities. After Feb. 6, it will be close to $10 million. According to the rules, 75 percent of all funds raised have to stay in Palm Beach County.
“It has such a huge impact,” Bellissimo said. “You translate that dollar figure into the amount of lives we’ve touched, I’m sure it’s tens of thousands of lives.”
Valtin, he said, has been crucial to the challenge.
“Without her leadership, a lot of this doesn’t get executed,” he explained. “She has been able to cultivate great relationships within the community, and it really makes a big difference when you start thinking about how we can do this.”
The Great Charity Challenge was created with an emphasis on an entire networking effect. By helping a set of charities, those charities in turn help other charities, providing a larger impact. Those involved are able to meet each other at the event, find common areas of interest, and discover ways of cost sharing and how to best serve their populations.
“How many charity events do the beneficiaries get to come out, have a really fun night, and support possibly winning first prize, or even if they’re in 34th place, where they’ll win $15,000?” Paige asked.
Last year, horses and riders flew over jumps in superhero costumes. After all, the teams — riders, horses, team sponsors and corporate sponsors — truly are superheroes to the organizations. This year, the theme is all about fairy tales.
Paige, with her long blonde hair, truly looks like she could be a Disney princess. On Feb. 6, she is going to be dressed up as one of Disney’s most popular new princesses — Elsa, from Frozen.
“It’s great for riders to volunteer their time and their horses,” Paige said, explaining that the GCC competition is a non-ranking class that truly focuses on the spirit of giving.
Riders and sponsors alike want to be involved. The sponsors, Valtin explained, are impressed. For the riders, this is a chance to give back and connect with the community. After all, it isn’t every day that they get to dress up like their favorite characters.
Their hard work all goes to a good cause that quickly ripples out.
“There’s not a place I go in Palm Beach County where I don’t run into someone, if I’m making a presentation or sitting on a board, there isn’t an event that goes by where someone doesn’t come up to me and say they were a beneficiary of the Great Charity Challenge,” Bellissimo said. “People come up to me and say they would have had to close their doors without the grant.”
Valtin has received many e-mails explaining what an impact the GCC has had on various charities, be it those that have been part of the event or those who just want to share how amazing they think the program is.
“Funds allocated through the event make a huge difference in everyday life,” Valtin said. “This is a true role model when you think of what one organization has done for one county. Imagine if others got inspired to do the same. This is a true role model of corporate social responsibility.”
Paige and Valtin recently went for a visit to the Food Bank of Palm Beach County, as well as other nonprofits, and learned that more than 200,000 people in the county are food-insecure — meaning that they don’t necessarily know where their next meal will come from.
For Paige, it was heartwarming to volunteer and meet and learn about the volunteers who regularly sort food and help keep overhead and administrative costs low.
The grants given through the GCC help the recipient organizations work on their infrastructure — something that is often overlooked with other fundraising activities, yet is desperately needed.
“It has been great fun,” Bellissimo said. “It’s a lesson for all of us. We’ve all learned about the challenges that exist in this community and every community in the country. I think there’s a lot of great energy to solve it, or at least address it in this community. I think there are many more years of fundraising that will continue to at least provide some resources to a lot of these groups that just struggle to get by every day.”
The equestrian community has truly embraced the community, coming together with a sense of camaraderie and a spirit of goodwill.
“We’re giving hope to so many,” Valtin said. “Nobody touches that many lives in one single event.”
One example of the community coming together is the Wellington PTA/PTO/PTSA. It has won more than $300,000 at the event, which helps with new technology, art projects and other needs within area schools. Each week during the Winter Equestrian Festival, a different school comes out, fundraises and sings the national anthem.
“It has become a key component of Saturday nights,” Valtin said. “People come to see these kids, and there’s a certain pride with coming.”
The Great Charity Challenge has free parking and free admission.
The fairy-tale experience isn’t limited to the riders and the charities. The Bellissimos have extended an invitation for everyone to come dressed up and take part in the fun.
“I’d love to have the largest fairy-tale party, in terms of everyone, riders and non-riders alike,” Bellissimo said, putting the call out for all princesses and princes to dress up in their best royal garb for a costume contest that cares.
This year’s 34 participating charities are: Alzheimer’s Community Care, Animal Rescue Force of South Florida, Back to Basics, Bella’s Angels, Big Dog Ranch Rescue, the Blue Sky Foundation, the Caridad Center, the Center for Child Counseling, the Center for Family Services, the Children’s Healing Institute, the Christopher Aguirre Memorial Foundation, Club 100 Charities, Danny & Ron’s Rescue, Friends of Foster Children, the George Snow Scholarship Fund, Glades Initiatives, Gulfstream Goodwill Academies, the Habilitation Center for the Handicapped, Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County, the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County, JDRF, the Junior League of the Palm Beaches, the Kids Cancer Foundation, Nonprofits First, the Palm Beach County Food Bank, Twin Palms Center for the Disabled, the Urban League of the Palm Beaches, Villages of Hope, the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, Wellington PTA/PTO/PTSA, Wycliffe Charities, the YWCA of Palm Beach County and two wild-card charities to be announced at the event.
For more info., visit www.greatcharitychallenge.com or www.facebook.com/greatcharitychallenge.
ABOVE: Paige and Mark Bellissimo with miniature horse American Pie.
