82 SIDELINES DECEMBER 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Sean O’Keefe and Nancy Whatley
By Sarah Dodge
Crafted cocktails, elegant hats, stomping the
divots, good friends – it was all just the tip of the
iceberg for this year’s inaugural Polo in the Pines
event in Atlanta, Georgia. The venue was the
picturesque Atlanta Regional Polo Field, tucked
away among the lush greenery of one of Atlanta’s
most beautiful neighborhoods.
The players all gathered to support a cause near
and dear to host Tina Fowler of Fowler Connection
Online Travel Booking Site. The event’s cause
was to bring awareness as well as raise funds
for Leiomyosarcoma cancer research at The
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Care
Center, a leader in Leiomysarcoma research.
The evening’s honorees were Tina’s mother
Sharon Knight as well as Nikki Van Wingerden
of Atlanta. The two women have braved a tough
battle with this rare form of cancer and were
generous in giving accounts of what this disease
has meant in their lives, the lives of their families
and the importance of raising awareness against
this illness.
Although the afternoon soiree existed for
serious purposes, fun certainly had a big role
in the evening. The event featured a successful
silent auction, a lively polo game, a rock and
roll band and plenty of delicious food. The
silent auction included items donated from local
favorites such as Raw Denim and Spanx as well
as an autographed Styx guitar and wine packages
from Napa Valley wineries.
The polo game, which was lively as well as
informative, found guests experiencing a new
pastime and learning curious tidbits about the
game. The traditional “stomping of the divots”
took place halfway through the match and brought
guests and their beverages out onto the feld for
a good time. The event not only gave guests a
better understanding about this rare form of
cancer, but also set up a platform for fun and more
importantly, fundraising. It’s safe to say that this
year’s guests are already looking forward to next
year’s event with open hearts and their dancing
shoes ready.
Polo player Diego Coscia.
All photos by Sarah Dodge
Polo In the Pines
Supports Great Cause
e
Polo
Fun in the Atlanta Sun: (from
left to right) Christy Long,
Amy Patterson, Heidi Holland,
Lindsey Sermonet, TJ Gilley,
Lisa Whitmore, Brooke Duncan,
Kim Enzmann
Playing at Polo in the Pines
Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Letossia
McFadden
Festivities and fun at Polo in the Pines
Honoree Sharon Knight and her
daughter Tina Fowler