Supporting The Boys & Girls Club A Passion For Polo Star Nic Roldan

Supporting The Boys & Girls Club A Passion For Polo Star Nic Roldan

By Julie Unger

Polo star Nic Roldan is chairing the 35th annual Wellington Golf Tournament to benefit the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club, which will take place at the Wanderers Club on Sunday, Nov. 13.

Originally scheduled for early in October, the event was rescheduled due to Hurricane Matthew. It will get underway with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start, followed by a silent auction and an awards luncheon. In addition to special activities throughout the day, club members will give a special performance.

Roldan is joined by Honorary Chairman Ed Portman. Committee members include Todd Barron, Jim Bomar, Elliot Bonner, John Hornberger, Julie Kime, Ray Mooney and Mickey Smith.

“When Ray approached me to be the chair, I wasn’t going to say no, because I love what they do,” said Roldan, whose work with the local Boys & Girls Club goes far beyond just chairing the tournament.

Roldan grew up playing polo in Wellington and would often visit the Boys & Girls Club at its previous location amid the polo fields of southern Wellington.

“I’ve seen the Boys & Girls Club grow. I’ve seen what it does. Now I get to be a part of it, support it and help the kids who need it,” he said. “If I can use my name and my resources to help the Boys & Girls Club, I’m going to do it.”

Maria Curreri, marketing director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, couldn’t be happier that Roldan is chairing this year’s event.

“We’re thrilled. Nic has been a big supporter of our organization for a number of years,” she said. “He has donated his time to visit the Wellington club and interact with the kids. He has been instrumental for our organization to network within the polo community.”

Roldan has attended numerous Boys & Girls Club events, such as the Wellington Dinner Dance, often inviting along his friends and colleagues, who also visit the club, particularly before Great Futures Polo Day, the club’s annual polo-themed fundraiser.

The golf tournament helps the club raise money to defray the costs of serving hundreds of local children. The membership fee per child is only $30, however, it costs approximately $1,500 per child for the programs offered at the club, emphasizing educational, recreational, health, social, vocational, leadership and character-building skills. The golf tournament is a crucial part of the fundraising efforts to support club programs.

When Roldan and other polo players visit the club, Curreri said, the children don’t see them as world-famous players. They see adults who care.

“What it means to the kids is that he cares. When he comes to the club and he spends time with the kids, he truly cares about the kids,” she said. “He spends time with them. He plays with them. He helps them with their homework. He’s a mentor for the kids.”

Visits are always a fun time for both the players and the children. At a recent visit, club members helped teach Roldan one of the dances they were learning.

“It means a lot to the kids when they have people like him who come in to show their support,” Curreri said. “To them, he is no different than any other adult who cares and donates their time and spends time to support them.”

Roldan said he enjoys visiting with the children, even if he hasn’t been able to spend as much time at the club as he’d like, due to his hectic schedule.

“We’ve done a couple of visits where we’ve gone and met the kids, played with them and entertained them. It’s fun. It’s a lot of fun,” he said.

Events such as the golf tournament are all about raising money for a good cause. Roldan said he does it for the club, rather than recognition.

“It supports and helps the underprivileged kids. They need it, and we have the resources to be able to help them,” he said, crediting sponsor and fellow polo aficionado Neil Hirsch for his ongoing support for the Boys & Girls Club.

For Roldan, it’s quite simple. He can help, so he does.

“It’s my hometown. It’s something that feels particularly close to me and close to my family and friends,” he said. “It’s home base… Anything I can do to help, I’m in full support.”

Wellington, he explained, is sort of like a bubble, where people don’t always see the children who need help. “We have the resources to help them,” he said.

He also enjoys taking part in the golf tournament itself.

“The last couple of years that I’ve played the golf tournament, it has been a huge success,” Roldan said. “It’s something fun, and it brings everyone out. We’re doing something for a good cause.”

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, or how to participate, call (561) 683-3287 or e-mail cgalenski@bgcpbc.org. To learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, visit www.bgcpbc.org or www.facebook.com/bgcpbc.

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