Elite players from today and of the next generation take to the field at the International Polo Club to raise funds for the Polo Players Support Group
Wellington, FL – February 9th, 2015: Eight of the world’s highest ranked 10-goal polo players will take to the field at the prestigious International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, on Saturday, February 14th, to help raise money for the Polo Players Support Group during the Nespresso 40 Goal Challenge fundraiser.
Now in its 14th year, today’s most accomplished and elite players, including the legendary Argentineans Adolfo Cambiaso and Facundo Pieres, will compete in the country’s only 40 Goal exhibition match to help raise funds for seriously injured or ill polo players and grooms nationwide. Prior to the main event, gifted junior players, some of whom are the sons or daughters of the featured professionals, will also take to the field for a fundraising exhibition match representing the next generation of talent.
Co-founded in 2002 by Toronto native David Offen with partners Tim Gannon and Tony Coppola, the Polo Players Support Group was established to provide financial assistance to seriously injured or ill polo players and grooms, and since it’s inception, the PPSG has paid out over $1.6 million to 53 beneficiaries to-date.
“Due to the dangerous nature of our sport, it is likely we will continue to find members of our polo family in need of financial assistance,” says David Offen of the Polo Players Support Group. “The generosity of our sponsors, patrons, players and supporters enables us to make tax deductible donations to help those in need, while at the same time enjoying great polo and camaraderie. We are delighted to have Nespresso as the new Title Sponsor for our annual 40 Goal Challenge.”
Nespresso, the worldwide pioneer and reference in premium portioned coffee, will return for the second time as the Title Sponsor of the 2015 40 Goal Challenge. This year’s event will be dedicated to and played in memory of the former 10-goal players Carlos Gracida from Mexico and Javier Novillo Astrada from Argentina. Carlos Gracida died in 2014 from injuries suffered on the field and Javier Novillo Astrada lost his life to cancer last fall. Both were heralded as two of polo’s greatest competitors on the worldwide circuit.
“Last year we were proud to be a presenting sponsor of the 40 Goal Challenge, and we are excited to continue and expand our partnership for a second year as the Title Sponsor,” said Guillaume Le Cunff, President of Nespresso USA. “We feel this is the perfect partnership, as the world’s best polo players and the world’s top quality coffee come together for a most unique and worthy cause. We look forward to cheering on the teams, while raising awareness and funds for those polo players in need.”
Two teams of four children between the ages of 10 and 14 years old will open the event with the Bright’s Creek Future 10’s Match, starting at 3:00pm. These junior players represent the next generation of competitors on the field and will include Adolfo Cambiaso Junior and Mia Cambiaso – the children of Adolfo Cambiaso from Argentina, who is highly regarded as the sport’s leading 10-goal professional. Mia Novillo Astrada, the daughter of competing Argentinean player Miguel Novillo Astrada, and Lucas Criado Junior will also compete in front of an expected attendance of more than 3,000 people.
Immediately following the Bright’s Creek Future 10’s Match, the Nespresso 40 Goal Challenge exhibition match will feature two teams of four players, including last year’s defending champions, Equus & Co., led by Facundo Pieres from Argentina. Pieres will be joined by his brother, Gonzalo Pieres, together with the 10-goal Uruguayan polo sensation, Pelon Stirling, and the Argentinean 10-goaler Miguel Novillo Astrada. The opposing team, sponsored by EFG International will comprise of Argentinean players Adolfo Cambiaso, Polito Pieres, Juan Martin Nero and Sapo Caset.
Following the match at approximately 5:00pm, trophy presentations will be made on the field to each of the competing players by team sponsor representatives Keith Gapp of EFG International and Jim Whisenand of Equus & Co. Each bronze trophy awarded to the players has been created by famed sculptor Richard Roenisch and generously sponsored by the president of the Mexican Polo Federation, Guillermo Steta.
The players, patrons, sponsors and invited guests of those who have purchased tables will then move indoors for the annual post-exhibition VIP Reception, hosted by master of ceremonies, Tony Coppola of the Polo Players Support Group. The 500 VIP attendees will have an opportunity to bid on a series of silent auction items that will include jewelry, luxury vacations, La Martina polo equipment, art, and Nespresso’s stylish and innovative machines, including the VertuoLine system, which brews both American-Style large cup coffee and authentic espresso at the touch of a button. During a three-course dinner, courtesy of IPC Caterers, the evening’s emcee and auctioneer, Tony Coppola, will conduct a live auction, during which guests will have a chance to bid on more than a dozen donated items ranging from a day of fishing in Florida on the Miss Budweiser yacht, a Devon Timepiece, and a polo vacation at the Casa del Campo resort in the Dominican Republic. The annual highlight of the live auction will be bids on each of the La Martina polo jerseys worn and signed by the competing players of the Nespresso 40 Goal Challenge.
“We are delighted to return as the Official supplier of the Nespresso 40 Goal Challenge,” says Adrian Simonetti, CEO of La Martina America. “It really is an exceptional occasion to have the world’s top eight 10-goal polo players on the same field competing against one another. Our continued association and support of this truly remarkable event and charitable endeavor underlines our long-term commitment towards helping the polo playing community and the sport of polo on an international stage.”
That afternoon, presentations will also be made for the Lucchese Best Playing Pony award and the Grey Goose Long Shot of the Day award.
Polo Hall of Fame inductee, Rob Walton, broke his neck while competing in 1995 and is now a quadriplegic. The Rob Walton Arena Benefits at Palm Beach Polo and the Rob Walton 40-Goal that originally took place in 2000 at Royal Palm Polo were the inspirations for the formation of the Polo Players Support Group by David Offen and Tim Gannon in 2002. The 501(c)(3) non-profit organization continues to provide year-round financial assistance to seriously injured or ill polo players and grooms in the continental United States and overseas.
A VIP Gold Package and VIP Standard Package for eight people at the Nespresso 40 Goal Challenge is priced at $5,000 and $3,000 respectively, and includes reserved box seats, reserved table seating at the VIP Reception, dinner and auction and waited table service. Reserved tickets for lawn, stadium and tailgate spectators are priced from $20 to $150 and there are a limited amount available. For ticket information, please contact David Offen on 516.528.3821 or at [email protected].