After the Horses Leave the Field…
When champagne, galloping horses and hundreds of people gather in the same place at the same time, extraordinary things happen. Historic Hopkins Farm will host one of the Upstate’s most anticipated fundraising events on Sunday, October 18.
But what happens when the last horse leaves the field, the tents come down, the champagne glasses are put away, and everyone returns to their everyday lives?
That’s when the true magic of the Meyer Center Polo Classic begins!
Monday morning, buses will pull up to the school, carrying children who depend on specialized education and therapy. Inside the classrooms, teachers will be on the floor and around tables meeting the developmental needs of each student. Therapists will work towards goals that may take weeks, months or even years to meet. And somewhere, a family will have access to an opportunity they might not have been able to afford.
That is the story of the Polo Classic.
Since its inaugural event in 2023, the Meyer Center Polo Classic has become much more than a day of beautiful clothes, exciting competition, and community celebration. Its impact is measured in something more meaningful: opportunities for children.
The event’s first Fund-A-Need campaign purchased a school bus. Another year’s fundraising helped cover an entire year of operating expenses for the Baby Room, serving eleven children under the age of three. This year, the event is opening another door. A portion of funds raised will fully sponsor ten Meyer Center students for equine therapy through Happy Hooves at Eden Farms.
Behind the fundraising goals, the sponsorships, and the months of planning is someone who understands the importance of those opportunities on a deeply personal level.
For Abbey Bell, the Meyer Center Polo Classic isn’t just an event she helps organize. When her youngest daughter, Evie, was born with a rare chromosomal disorder, Abbey found herself navigating an unfamiliar world. With no close friends raising children with similar disabilities, she remembers how isolating the early years felt. Then, Evie started attending the Meyer Center. “That isolation ended the moment Evie started at the Meyer Center. I finally found the community and understanding I had been searching for.”
The school gave Evie opportunities to learn and grow, but it gave Abbey something too. A village. Years later, Abbey remains close friends with mothers she met during those early days. Evie eventually graduated from the Meyer Center. Abbey likes to joke that she never did! When the idea of hosting a Polo match was introduced, Abbey was all in. “Championing this event is my way of giving back to an organization that gave my family everything during one of the most challenging chapters of our lives,” she says.
For one Sunday, the Polo Classic brings together an extraordinary community of supporters. The most important moments do not happen on the field. They take place in the days and months that follow.
If you’d like to support the Meyer Center Polo Classic, you can make a donation by clicking this link. No gift is too small and every contribution helps create opportunities for the children and families who call Meyer Center home.