Pace pg 9 10-20-11
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Taking Part
Riders take part in the Pace for a Purpose equestrian event, raising more than $3,600 for the Day Kimball Deary cancer fund. Courtesy photo.
POMFRET — The first Pace For a Purpose equestrian fund-raising event, held Oct. 9 at Tyrone Farm, raised $3617 in donations.
Two-hundred fifteen equestrians from the tri-state region competed in the Pomfret Hunter Pace held simultaneously with 13 of these riders opting to make a difference by raising funds for the Pace for a Purpose. All proceeds raised benefit the Day Kimball Healthcare Deary Memorial Cancer Fund which helps people in the local community in need of mammograms, ultrasounds, medications, travel, prostate screening, child care, surgical procedures and much more.
The 13 riders raised $1725 plus door prize ticket sales and outside donations put the total at $2617.00. The Pfizer Volunteer Program will add $1,000 to that total.
Pamela Watts, director of development at Day Kimball Healthcare said, “Pace for a Purpose was a great success right out of the gate! This is the first time an equestrian event has benefitted the Day Kimball Healthcare Deary Memorial Cancer Fund. We are proud to have these athletes on our team.”
She added,”We are extremely grateful to the organizers, especially Amy Jakowski and Diane LeDuc, and the riders. We hope others will join in and keep up the Pace next year.”
Lori Purdon, an employee at Day Kimball, rode Will, who is 20 years “young” and her daughter, Keely Purdon rode Token. Lori was the highest fund-raiser from DKH and won a director’s chair embroidered with the Pace For A Purpose logo.
Lori said, “This was Keely’s first time in a hunter pace and what an incredible experience at only 11 years old. It was an awesome day and can’t wait till next years pace”.
Caylei Arnold of Willington raised the most with $540 in donations. She will receive an acrylic painting on canvas of her horse done by equine artist, Helen Scanlon, of Hampton.
She also won the Pomfret Hunter Pace Hilltopper division. Arnold said, “In my four years of doing the pace and I’ve come close to the top spot but never got it. The pony I rode at the pace was a 13H registered Welsh pony named Benlea Sealily (“Lily”). I’ve owned Lily since she was 3 and she is now 16! She is a lot of fun!”
Amy and Richard Jakowski, founders of the event, and committee members Diane LeDuc and Katie MacLaren were pleased with the results of the fund-raiser.
Plans are in the works to make Pace for a Purpose an annual event at the Pomfret Hunter Pace. Amy said, “It has been a wonderful opportunity to have been able to share this magnificent venue at Tyrone Farm with the Pomfret Hunter Pace. The “Quiet Corner” restaurants have been very generous in their support. Having a local artist like Helen Scanlon donating her talent to make the highest fund-raiser feel very special is so amazing. I am very happy to be able to help give back to my community.”