Water Mill, New York, August 8, 2016 – Yesterday, hundreds of families attended the fifth annual Piaget Hamptons Cup Polo Match at the Equuleus Polo Club in Water Mill, New York. The afternoon of polo and family-friendly activities raised more than $780,000 for Robin Hood, New York’s largest poverty-fighting organization. Since its inception, the Piaget Hamptons Cup has raised over $2.8 million for the charity.
One hundred percent of the event’s ticket sales will go to fighting poverty because the event is fully underwritten by volunteer leadership and sponsors. These include event hosts Diana and Joe DiMenna and founding co-chairs Mary Kathryn and Alex Navab and Lise and Michael Evans, and corporate sponsors Piaget, Bugatti and Credit Suisse, along with Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation, Zen Air, and Bertaud Belieu. Celebrities including Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld, Donna and Gabby Karan, and Michael B. Jordan attended the event and supported the cause.
The match between Team Sponsors Credit Suisse and Bugatti featured international polo star Nacho Figueras, and brothers Cristian (Magoo) Laprida and Inaki Laprida, with Team Bugatti taking home the Piaget Cup. The competition was an 18-goal match, the highest level of polo currently being played on Long Island. Throughout the match, families were invited to visit a special kids’ area that featured pony rides, arts and crafts and cookie-decorating. At half-time, guests participated in the traditional divot-stomp, while kids tried their hand at hitting the polo ball with child-sized mallets. After the match guests enjoyed a casual twilight Argentine asado dinner.
“Every parent, regardless of his or her circumstances, wants the same things for their family,” said event co-founder Diana DiMenna. “We all want a safe home, nutritious food to eat, a quality education and a chance to work for an adequate wage. We have a responsibility to help provide that opportunity to others. That is what Robin Hood does, and what all of the founding families of the Piaget Hamptons Cup event believe in. It’s an honor to host the event every year at our farm.”
Co-chairs for the event included: Nacho Figueras and Delfina Blaquier, Diana and Joe DiMenna, Thomas Bouillonnec, Lise and Michael Evans, Amanda and Glenn Fuhrman, Neil S. Hirsch, Alainn and Stefano Natella, and Mary Kathryn and Alex Navab. Vice chairs for the event are Gabby Karan De Felice and Gianpaolo De Felice, Melanie Lazenby and Matthew McLennan, Laura and Brent Nicklas, Maurizio Parlato, and Zibby Schwarzman.
“The commitment this community makes year after year to New York City’s most vulnerable residents is inspiring,” said David Saltzman, executive director of Robin Hood. “We’re deeply appreciative of Diana, Joe, Nacho and Delfina’s leadership and support. Their efforts help to educate, feed, train and house New Yorkers in need.”