master_q 0 Posted July 8, 2003 “It’s about the children” Posted by: Sandy.Moruzzi on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 03:35 AM It's about the children...The 13th Annual Wells Fargo Hollywood Charity Horse Show was just that--about the children. As many of you know, William Shatner's commitment to putting on this annual event to help raise money for local children's charities is something he does lovingly and with unparalleled energy. We are happy to report that this year's show was a success in every aspect! On Saturday, April 26th, the Hollywood Charity Horse Show brought together children, reining competitors, celebrities, entertainers, members of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Police Mounted Platoon, California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and local businesses (such as Home Depot and Pat & Oscar’s Restaurant) at the Equestrian Center in Burbank, California. Bill welcomed the children with microphone in hand and helped kick off the afternoon's activities by participating in a Harris Hawk demonstration. Holding his arm outstretched, with his hand protected by a special leather glove, Bill gave the signal for the handler to release the hawk which was supposed to fly to him. The hawk looked beautiful as it flew, up, up and....AWAY. It landed in a large tree above the children’s heads – much to their surprise! Not to be deterred, Bill called out again, held his arm out, and a moment later the hawk swooped gracefully down to land upon his outstretched hand. The kids loved it…and so did Bill. The children enjoyed a couple of hours of entertainment as they participated in flower planting compliments of the North Hollywood Home Depot. They also had the opportunity to have their faces painted by John and Lisa, visit the petting zoo and see exotic animals provided by Amazing Animal Actors. Some of them hopped up on the CHP motorcycle and LAFD fire trucks, and petted the officers' horses. Yet others listened to the great music of Double Action and enjoyed the West Valley Dog Sports Club's fly ball and agility team demonstrations. All the while, costumed talent dressed as Star Trek and Star Wars characters roamed the field, posed for photos and signed autographs! Lunch was provided by Pat and Oscars. Bill and his lovely wife Elizabeth took time out to meet and greet many of the volunteers and participants. They even posed for a number of group shots before heading over to the Equidome for interviews with the assembled press. At around 5:00pm, the costumed talent led the children over to the Equidome grandstands for the start of the show. Bill took to the microphone and opened the evening's performance. Following the National Anthem which was beautifully rendered by Lindsay Korman of Passions, the charities were highlighted. Several children from the Ahead With Horses therapeutic riding program were brought into the arena. In a moving tribute which showcased the extraordinary and miraculous work performed day in and day out by the talented and dedicated AWH staff, several children demonstrated intricate maneuvers on the backs of horses while the animals were led in a slow circle. Following the demonstrations, Bill introduced team penning. This year, there were a dozen teams participating in the event. Each team was comprised of a pro, a celebrity and a sponsor. One at a time, each team took to the arena which was populated by a herd of 30 calves. Each calf had a number on their back. There were three calves with each of the numbers running from 1 through 10. Before the competion began, each team was told the number of the calf they would be rounding up. Their objective was to try to separate the three calves with that particular number from the rest of the herd and steer them into a pen--in 90 seconds! The team wrangling the most calves in the least amount of time...wins! Some of this year's participants included Bill, Liz, Leonard Nimoy, Eric "Mancow" Muller, Peter Tilden, Lisa Foxx, Peter Brown, Mark Wallengren, Kim Amidon, Rob Word, Marty Cove, Danny Gerardi and the Petrie family. When not in the arena, Bill watched the competition from the sidelines. At right, he's intent on Leonard's performance. In a humorous moment, he even coached the announcer to compare Leonard's riding skills to his piloting of a Starship! Another particularly funny moment came when Mancow decided to bail from his horse and chase the calves on foot! Obviously, his actions disqualified his team, but made for great entertainment. The audience roared...as did Bill. In the end, Peter Tilden's team took first place. Following team penning, the reining competition continued in the main arena. By this time, the silent auction was in full swing and many people took the opportunity to bid on items before going over to the Western Dinner Party. This year's auction featured memorabilia, artwork, sporting goods, gift certificates, equine items, books, musical instruments, jewelry and many one-of-a-kind items. Over 200 of them in all! There was something for everyone. At 7:00pm, the doors opened to the Western Dinner Party hosted by Pat and Oscar's restaurant. Bill auctioned off a luxury cruise and a guitar autographed by Brad Paisley, bringing in several thousand dollars. There was line dancing, great food and rockin' musical entertainment provided by Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts. Bill and his family even took to the dance floor. It was a wonderful party and capped off a great day.This year's show raised over $200,000 for needy children's charities. If you're going to be in the Los Angeles area in April of 2004, mark your calendar for next year's event! http://www.williamshatner.com/modules.php?...order=0&thold=0 Master Q StarTrek_Master_Q@yahoo.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
master_q 0 Posted July 8, 2003 I think that it is just great that Shatner, Leonard, and others participate in this. Bill has been a very large participant in these kinds of programs and he should be commended. And of course it is great that they raised money and it is going to a good cause... Master Q StarTrek_Master_Q@yahoo.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
