Philadelphia Polo Classic to Benefit Equestrian Program for Under-Resourced Kids

[Music] this stable tucked away in West Fairmount Park is home to the community-based prevention program work to ride when I started the program I had an idea of what I wanted to do you know which was work with inner city youth teach them about horses and horsemanship executive director Leslie heiner founded the Hands-On program in 1994. the program is income based it's also very relevant that the kids have to commit to being in the program for at least a year commit to working in the barn caring for the horses and cleaning up after them and the reward for all that hard work you get to ride the horses leadership responsibility character development all of those things are kind of enveloped in a whole sense of um you know being committed to something [Music] work to ride also offers a polo program where Kareem Rosser learned how to play when Kareem got on a horse for the first time he was only eight years old he didn't know it then but his life was about to change I grew up in West Philly grew up with a single mom who raised six of us by herself it was hard growing up because we had very limited resources but once we found the organization we opened up so many doors for us I started by just riding learning how to ride and then eventually when I think when I was about nine or ten or so I picked up and pull them out for the first time tons of practice and repetition eventually got me to a point where I was able to compete at a high level Kareem went on to lead the first all-african-american team to win the national interscholastic Polo Championship and later he led his Colorado State University Club team to win the national title in 2015. Polo has completely changed my life has given me so many opportunities from you know receiving an incredible education to traveling the world whenever I was at the Staples I was able to escape all the drama and all the violence and everything that was going on back in West Philly and I just felt free you know I was happy I felt safe you know I felt like I can go and Achieve and do whatever I want when I was at the Staples now the 29 year old is giving back by serving on work to rides board and organizing the inaugural Philadelphia Polo classic I come from a world of poverty and then I've been able to access a world you know where there's tons of wealth and I thought the Philadelphia Polo classic can be a bridge where we can bring those people who really want to give back and those who really need help together the fundraiser will help support operations as the non-profit expands its programming work to ride has raised almost 10 million dollars since last year with plans to build an indoor arena by 2023. proceeds from the polo classic will keep the arena going once it's up and running the arena is going to be here and hopefully this time next year you will have a totally different view of what this this place is going to look like it's going to be amazing I feel like I'm forever indebted to the organization considering the number of opportunities that has given me my family and all the kids here in Philadelphia hi I'm Shirley Mann and I'm Regina Mitchell for more videos like this subscribe to WHYY [Music]