Aspen Valley Polo Club Makes Record-Breaking History At Summer Polo Charity Classic Fundraiser

CARBONDALE, Colo., September 13, 2024---In front of the largest crowd of the summer polo season, the August 18th Summer Polo Charity Classic raised the most money in a single-day polo event in the United States.

By Sharon Robb

The club's summer marquis soldout event, hosted by owners Melissa and Marc Ganzi and Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation at McClure River Ranch Stadium, hit the $1 million mark with about $700,000 going to Aspen Valley Hospital operations. It was the second time the event hit the $1 million mark since it was created in 2016.

More than half of that amount will be dedicated toward the purchase of a dual nuclear medicine/CT camera that will be installed in December. It will give Aspen Valley Hospital a second CT scan and an upgraded nuclear medicine camera that shows how your organs are functioning. It will help detect things like clogged coronary arteries, seizure disorders, hidden bone fractures or track the progression of cancer.

The two types of scans can operate independently or be fused together to provide even more information for patients and physicians.

It was a winning combination of polo, sponsors, donors, great food and live auction to raise much-needed funding for the hospital projects for the Roaring Fork Valley.

Sponsors of the event were: Aspen Valley Polo Club, Vectra Bank Colorado, Lugano, Hildebrand Foundation, Kemo Sabe, Martin Engineering, Rancho Los Amigos, Alpine Bank, Aspen Valley Hospital medical staff, CDW, Clark's Market, Crown Chocolate, Haselden Construction, The Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute, TopStep, Bill and Scarlet Adams, Pam Alexander and Jack and Michele Lafield.

Event partners were: Caribou Club, Flowers On Main Street, Hickory House Ribs & Steaks, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, Jay's Valet Parking and Luxury Transportation, Mountain Waste and Recycling, Premier Party Rental, Platinum Productions, Specialized Protective Services, Steve Mundinger Photography, Sundance and Whitcomb Terrace.

The 250 guests in the fieldside VIP tent enjoyed a lavish menu prepared with white glove service and impeccable attention to detail by Caribou Catering. The menu featured grilled Angus filet and seared ahi tuna, spring pea salad, a variety of vegetables, caviar, champagne, specialty cocktails and Prosecco popsicle station.

Some of the auctioned items included: Beach Polo World Cup Miami Beach VIP Experience including a three-night stay at the W Hotel South Beach hosted by Grand Champions Polo Club; Querencia-Los Cabos, BCS Mexico four-day, three-night experience for two; Bottega Veneta handbag from Max Fashion Co. in Aspen; Custom-made linen suit and shirt combination from elevee by Rickey; Aspen Romance 5-Star 5-Diamond Luxury by Lugano and intimate dinner at Cache Cache; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico Retreat; private concert by Nashville singer Tyler Dial and catered barbeque for 30 people; and Magical Marrakesh luxurious private villa for 10 in Morocco.   

The fun event also featured great polo where Tonkawa defended its title in the Carbondale Classic. Defending champion Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Grant Ganzi, 3, Nic Roldan, 8, Hilario Figueras, 5) broke open a close game in the fifth chukker to defeat Polo 4 Christ (Steve Cox/Silver Novillo Astrada, Melissa Ganzi, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Nacho Novillo Astrada, 8), 9-6.

"This was a huge day for the club with the benefit," Grant Ganzi said. "There were lots of people coming to polo which obviously we love because it brings more attention, more eyes and visibility to the sport. It was great to go out there and win on a day like today."

The Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation, now in its 12th year after being formed in 2012, is a non-profit solely focused on encouraging philanthropic support for the current and future needs of Aspen Valley Hospital.

Aspen Valley Hospital is an important asset that delivers excellent care to the small mountain community, thanks in part to the funds raised at the Summer Polo Charity Classic and World Snow Polo Championship. Aspen Valley Hospital has met important goals as evidenced by its high-ratings in patient satisfaction and quality of care.

Last year, Aspen Valley Hospital had 96,636 outpatient visits, 8,774 emergency department visits, 1,983 surgeries and 142 new babies born at the hospital and clinics.
 
Aspen Valley Hospital has been serving the community for more than a century. In order to provide high quality healthcare the community deserves, the hospital continues to modernize and expand facilities, improve technology, and add space for clinics and medical specialties.

With a vision for the community and surrounding areas, philanthropists Marc and Melissa Ganzi resurrected the club and polo in 2014. Since then polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities with the club's offerings of various weekly grass and arena tournaments, Arena & Asado Nights, Kidz Polo, Kids Wheelie Polo, Gymkhana, Christmas In July, The Polo School at AVPC and Polo On Demand. In addition, the club offers practice sessions for teams competing in the club tournaments on more than six world-class fields. There are also indoor and outdoor polo arenas.

Aspen Valley Polo Club caters to men, women and youth polo players at all levels. Its' expert staff can customize a complete playing experience including horses, pros and certified umpires in addition to lessons and practice sessions as part of its' Polo On Demand program.