FAIRMOUNT PARK - The first-ever Philadelphia Polo Classic was a huge success, with thousands of spectators spending the day in Fairmount Park for an event about more than just fun.Spectator Richard Demaria is a neighbor of one of the polo players, Kareem Rosser, who is a graduate of the program Work to Ride.
He went on to be the captain of the first all-Black team to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship."I’ve had a lot of people sign this for him," said Demaria, while holding up a homemade sign cheering on Rosser and his brother, who was also competing. "I mean it’s a great day out here.
Come out for a really great cause that obviously helps people, lifts people up. I’m most eager to meet Lezlie, as a matter of fact, because I have an envelope with a couple checks in it for her."Lezlie Hiner founded Work to Ride in 1994.
The long-term program at Chamounix Equestrian Center is a nonprofit community-based prevention program that supports under-resourced urban youth through activities focused on horsemanship, equine sports and education."It takes a special kind of kid to be in our program because it’s very rigorous and it’s a different kind of program.