Wellington, FL – The Derby of Dreams: Racing for Arts and Academics, held on Saturday, May 3rd at the Polo Club at the USPA National Polo Center in Wellington, was an unforgettable evening of elegance, excitement, and philanthropy. The event brought together community leaders, arts supporters, and friends of the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts for an extraordinary night in celebration of public arts education.
Guests arrived in their finest race-day attire to enjoy the live broadcast of the Kentucky Derby, compete in the fan-favorite Derby Hat and Bowtie Contest, and experience an evening filled with gourmet dining, handcrafted cocktails, and signature mint juleps.
The entertainment lineup included unforgettable performances by Grammy and Tony Award-winning artist John Lloyd Young; Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Charlie Porter, a 1996 graduate of the Palm Beach County School of the Arts; Tara Simon, a 2002 graduate of Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Broadway veteran, X Factor finalist, and celebrity vocal coach; and Govanny Brown, a 2021 Dreyfoos music graduate currently studying at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings.
Attendees participated in a vibrant silent auction featuring exclusive packages such as rounds of golf at Emerald Dunes, Admirals Cove, Trump International, and Apogee; a “Jockey for a Day” experience with Hall of Fame Jockey Mike E. Smith; a private polo lesson; and a one-of-a-kind experience at the National Croquet Center. Additional auction highlights included luxury pieces and original works by Dreyfoos alumni and professional artists, including Karina Brez Jewelry, Kyle Lucks, Nava Lundy, Michelle Sherman, and Olivia Hollaus of Protect My Shoes.
The Foundation was proud to honor J. Michael Prince, President & CEO of USPA Global, the company that oversees the global U.S. Polo Assn. brand, and philanthropist and art collector Kimberly Bluhm, for their outstanding contributions to the arts and education. The event was chaired by Nancy Hart, Karen Swanson, Francine Walker, and Alix Troast, whose thoughtful planning and leadership helped deliver an unforgettable and impactful evening.
All proceeds from the Derby of Dreams benefit the Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation, which supports the school’s award-winning programs and resources, including testing and college prep, classroom enhancements, private lessons, musical instruments, and scholarships for students in grades 9 through 12.
Under the leadership of Principal Blake Bennett, the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts has risen in national rankings from #111 to #91 in just three years out of nearly 25,000 public high schools, earning the distinction as the #1 public high school in Palm Beach County and the #25 magnet school in the nation.
Founded in 1990, Dreyfoos continues to lead in public arts education, now serving over 1,300 students across six arts disciplines: Communications, Dance, Digital Media, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts.
The success of this year’s Derby of Dreams would not have been possible without the generosity of our sponsors:
Derby Dream-Maker: The Bluhm Family Foundation
Triple Crown Sponsor: Kimberly Bluhm
Run for the Roses Sponsor: Dr. Robert & Mrs. Julie Herzig Desnick
Churchill Downs Sponsors: Josephine Bayard, Sonja Pockriss
Invitation Sponsor: ARH Medical Group LLC
Silver Cup Sponsors: Nancy and Joel Hart, Mitch and Bonnie Rudin, Don and Linda Silpe
Decor Sponsor: FPL
Valet Sponsor: The McMackin Family
In-Kind Sponsors: Karina Brez Jewelry, John Lloyd Young, Kyle Lucks, Nava Lundy, National Polo Center, Charlie Porter, Protect My Shoes, James Purse, Michelle Sherman, The Scout Guide Wellington, Tara Simon, U.S. Polo Assn., WRMF
To learn more about how to support the Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation and make a lasting impact on the next generation of artists and scholars, please visit soafi.org.
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The Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation provides support for the arts and academic curriculum at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, a public arts high school, ranked #91 out of nearly 25,000 public high schools in the nation, among the ten best schools in Florida, and the #1 public school in Palm Beach County. Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation, Inc. | P.O. Box 552, West Palm Beach, FL 33402 | Phone 561-805-6298 | info@soafi.org
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About U.S. Polo Assn.
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the largest association of polo clubs and polo players in North America, founded in 1890 and based at the USPA National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida. This year, U.S. Polo Assn. celebrates 135 years of sports inspiration alongside the USPA. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through more than 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores as well as thousands of additional points of distribution, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel, accessories, and footwear for men, women, and children in more than 190 countries worldwide. Historic deals with ESPN in the United States and Star Sports in India now broadcast several of the premier polo championships in the world, sponsored by U.S. Polo Assn., making the thrilling sport accessible to millions of sports fans globally for the very first time.
U.S. Polo Assn. has consistently been named one of the top global sports licensors in the world alongside the NFL, NBA, and MLB, according to License Global. In addition, the sport-inspired brand is being recognized internationally with awards for global and digital growth. Due to its tremendous success as a global brand, U.S. Polo Assn. has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Modern Retail, and GQ as well as on Yahoo Finance and Bloomberg, among many other noteworthy media sources around the world.
All photos courtesy of CAPEHART:
