They say winning isn’t everything. But for Brandon Phillips, a pediatric cancer survivor and professional polo player, winning isn’t everything — it is the only thing. Especially when the game was his life.
The emotional will of an athlete can overcome many things — even a cancer diagnosis. Phillips was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma when he was 14 years old. Doctors predicted he had just weeks to live. Yet, after months of hospitalization and unrelenting treatments, his rugged athletic spirit helped him survive.
This drive that enabled Phillips to conquer his boyhood battle with cancer keeps him devoted to helping others fight the disease that nearly took his life. Now, as founder of Polo for Life, Phillips uses his world-class status as a professional polo player to aid children and their families facing the same diagnosis.
In 2014, Brandon Phillips and Terrie Mooney created Polo for a Purpose, an annual charity polo match and dinner to benefit pediatric cancer patients in the local community. Collectively, Phillips and Mooney felt there was more to be done, so in 2018, they created Polo for Life, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to help support pediatric cancer patients and their families through direct impact initiatives. To date, Polo for Life has raised nearly $2 million for children battling pediatric cancer.
This year’s sixth annual Polo for a Purpose: Passage to India, presented by the Postage Stamp Farm Foundation and co-chaired by PJ Rizvi and Visse Wedell, raised more than half a million dollars. Held at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, more than 1,000 guests kicked off the warm and sunny January afternoon by exploring the Vendor Village and Kids Zone before the elite polo match began.
During the match’s opening ceremonies, the polo players each took the field joined by a pediatric cancer patient donning a matching polo jersey. Emma, 9, accompanied Ashley Busch; Lily, 4, accompanied Brandon Phillips; Johan, 9, accompanied Mariano Aguerre; Jonathan, 3, accompanied Kris Kampsen; Calliah, 5, accompanied Lucienne Elms; Johnny, 5, accompanied Martin Pepa; Geo, 15, accompanied Larin Zubiaurre; and Katherine, 10, accompanied Jeff Blake. Newly crowned Miss Florida USA Monique Evans made her debut by bowling in the ball to officially begin the match.
Team Monarch Reign, captained by Ashley Busch, a U.S. Polo Assn. brand ambassador, defeated Team Horse Scout, captained by Horse Scout CEO Lucienne Elms, 8-4 after a fast-paced match. Best Playing Pony, sponsored by Five Star Builders, went to Ashley Busch’s Ciril, and the game MVP, sponsored by the Wedell Family Foundation, was awarded to Mariano Aguerre.
During the match, guests enjoyed an Indian inspired cocktail reception, sponsored by Lisa Torell and Mark Finerman. Held on the Pavilion’s terrace, the cocktail reception featured lavish touches, including a live camel, henna tattoo artist, exquisite belly dancers and fine hors d’oeuvres.
However, the real party started at the end of the polo match. A sit-down dinner sponsored by the KVMB Foundation wowed the crowd with several courses of modern Indian cuisine, followed by a live auction. The highlight of the evening was listening to pediatric cancer patients and their families share their stories. In a particularly touching moment, pediatric cancer patient Emma LaPaglia, age 9, presented Phillips with a plaque declaring him a hero.
“This year’s event was a very special year for me,” Phillips said. “Not only was it Polo For Life’s inaugural year as an organization, but also it was very humbling to have Emma present me the Hero Award. I was not expecting that.”
All of the funds raised by Polo for Life go directly to their beneficiaries, which include the Pediatric Oncology Support Team in West Palm Beach, the Kids Cancer Foundation in Royal Palm Beach, the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation in Hollywood, the Miami Cancer Institute in Miami and the local chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Polo for Life credits the Postage Stamp Farm Foundation and other generous friends for their continued support. “We are so grateful for the support of everyone who made this event possible,” Executive Director Terrie Mooney said. “The generosity at our Polo for a Purpose event exceeded all expectations.”
A little over a month after Polo for a Purpose, the Polo for Life team went on a goodwill tour visiting each of the organizations that the group supports. One by one, each of the five beneficiaries was surprised with a large check — both in size and in dollar amount. Gasps and cheers filled the rooms as the $90,000 amount was revealed. One by one, eyes grew watery and voices grew thick as recipients realized the magnitude of such a gift of charity and selflessness. Each beneficiary has plans to put its funding to good use.
Polo is a game full of complexities. It can be dangerous, as players gallop on horseback, swinging a four-foot mallet at a baseball-sized ball while pursued by the opposing team. In many ways, polo is courage and resiliency in motion. As polo players and horses thundered down IPC’s renowned Field One during Polo for a Purpose’s sunset charity match, children and their families battling cancer stood tall on the sidelines. They understood that much like their battle with cancer, the players were willing to do whatever it took to win that game.
Learn more about Polo for Life at www.poloforlife.org.