Great Charity Challenge of the Carolinas Heading to Tryon International Equestrian Center on Friday, July 1st!

Press Release Tryon International Equestrian Center – The inaugural Great Charity Challenge of the Carolinas (GCCC) will highlight the first week of the Tryon Summer Series at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) on Friday, July 1, showcasing the talents of both professional and amateur competitors as they ride to raise money for local charities in the Carolina Foothills region.The super hero theme for the 2016 event will serve to honor and recognize the heroes in the local community for their dedication and commitment to philanthropic work.

The Great Charity Challenge of the Carolinas (GCCC) is a charity-fueled competition, which comes to life in the form of a relay race, pairing teams of two equestrian competitors to selected charities operating in the local community. Teams will race through a jumper relay course with tracks set at two different heights, 1.15m and 1.30m, in the George H. Morris Arena at TIEC under the lights. Competition on Friday, July 1, will begin at 7:00 p.m. with festivities and entertainment beginning at 5:00 p.m.

Each of the 26 teams will race to finish the relay track in the fastest time, while $300,000 will be raised throughout the evening. Each charity paired with a team will receive a minimum of a $5,000 donation, while the winner will hoist a check for $75,000 at the end of the competition. 100% of the proceeds raised throughout the evening will be distributed to participating non-profit organizations.

The following charities will be represented in the inaugural 2016 Great Charity Challenge of the Carolinas at TIEC:

A Childs Haven
Alexander Youth Network
Asheville Community Yoga
Buncombe County Schools Foundation
Empowering Through Beauty, Inc
Henderson County Free Medical Clinic, Inc. d/b/a/ The Free Clinics
Heart of Horse Sense
Hidden Treasure Christian School
Hospice of Rutherford County
Hospice of the Carolina Foothills
Lake Lure Classical Academy
Pearson’s Falls (Owned and maintained by the Tryon Garden Club)
Polk County School Foundation
Polk County Youth Football
Rotary Club of Tryon  Foundation
Rutherford County Visual Artists Guild
Rutherford Town Revitalization
The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg
The Dandelion Cafe
The Hope Chest for Women
The Spartanburg Humane Society
The Walker Foundation
Tryon Little Theater
University of South Carolina Upstate Foundation
Upstate Warrior Solution
Hope Remains Youth Ranch

The Great Charity Challenge of the Carolinas is the sister event to the Great Charity Challenge (GCC) hosted at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, each winter, which was conceptualized by Mark Bellissimo and his daughter Paige Bellissimo in an effort to give back to those in need in Palm Beach County. The event, which began in 2010, has distributed more than $9 million to more than 150 charities across Palm Beach County.

Currently teams of two or individuals wishing to be paired with a team through the submission of a donation can still register for the event. Finalized teams will be announced this week. For more information regarding team sign up, please contact gcc@tryon.com and for more information about the Great Charity Challenge of the Carolinas, please visit www.tryon.com. If interested in becoming a team sponsor for the event, please contact gcc@tryon.com to learn more. Donations made in honor of the event are tax-deductible.

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Source: Press Release Tryon International Equestrian Center