Help Honor Seema!

How You Can Help Honor the Memory of Seema Sonnad

Thanks to Holly, Bonnie and Melissa for organizing all these fundraisers.  We will continue to honor our friend and miss her!!!

By Holly Covey on Jul 4, 2015 2:00 pm - 813 views

Seema Sonnad at the 2015 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Photo by Holly Covey.

In life, Seema Sonnad gave immeasurably to the sport she loved and to her friends. So after she is gone, we just can’t stop her legacy, so those of us who loved and respected her are carrying on.
The Professional Riders Organization will continue with her planned awarding of the $1,000 PRO Above and Beyond Award to a notable volunteer at the annual USEA Convention, with Sharon White coordinating on the PRO Awards Committee. More details will be coming on that at a later time.
Friends of Seema responded online when I posted about honoring her volunteer commitment at the two Area II fall international events: Plantation Field International Sept. 17-20 in Unionville, Pennsylvania and the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International Oct. 14-18 in Elkton, Maryland. We thought we would just sponsor a jump on course at each event in her honor. Well, that grew a little.
Now we are sponsoring a jump at both events for Seema, and through the generosity of Jeff and Bonnie Kibbie and Fair Hill, we are raising funds to build a Training level portable obstacle to be dedicated to Seema at Fair Hill. And that’s not all. Bonnie is coordinating an online sale of donated items to benefit the Seema Sonnad Junior Rider Development fund set up in her honor by her family through the USEA.
We would really like your help — in Seema’s fashion — to pitch in and get these jumps funded.

Donate to Seema’s portable jump

For Seema’s permanent portable jump, go here and click the Donate button under “Help us Build a Fence to Honor Seema” to donate through PayPal. Fair Hill is tracking the donations and will let us know when we have enough to cover the expenses.
Fair Hill needs Training level obstacles, so Jeff will coordinate with them to build a suitable commemorative jump in Seema’s honor. I am excited that it will be a Training level obstacle because that seems to be a very versatile size of fence that many of us, at all of our skill levels, will be able to negotiate if we ride at Fair Hill.
We will dedicate this obstacle at the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International this fall with a short ceremony, and the jump will be on display during the competition. This is all due to the generosity of Fair Hill and their wish to honor Seema; many thanks to them for their incredible support.

Donate to sponsor a fence in Seema’s name

For sponsoring a jump in Seema’s name at the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International in October (for the CCI2* and CCI3*), please send a check made out to “FHI” for your chosen amount ($50 or $100) to Holly Covey, 11671 Utica Road, Greenwood, DE 19950. Please include your email address and/or phone number with the check.
We will notify the donors when we reach $750 and will draw names for jump sponsor perks. These jumps will be listed in the program as “Sponsored by friends of Seema Sonnad to honor her volunteer work at this event.” Email eventhorse@gmail.com with any questions.
For sponsoring a jump in Seema’s name at the Plantation Field International Horse Trials CIC3* in September, please send a check made out to “PFEE” for your chosen amount ($50 or $100 or more) to Melissa Stubenberg, 5 Greenfield Lane, West Grove, PA 19390. Please include your email address and/or phone number with the check.

We will notify the donors once the amount has been raised. Melissa will work with Katie Walker to draw or fairly distribute jump sponsor perks. Email stubenberg@rlf.com with any questions.
Please note all of your donations are tax deductible, as both events have 501(c)3 status.

Seema Sonnad Junior Rider Development Fund

Bonnie Kibbie is hosting a virtual tag sale of donated items to raise money for the Seema Sonnad Junior Rider Development Fund at the USEA. Please buy what you need and share the sale, which you can access at this link. All money raised will go toward this USEA grant, which will be awarded in Seema’s memory.

If you have an item to donate, please contact me at eventhorse@gmail.com. We will continue adding horsey and non-horsey items daily. We will also host a physical tag sale for any items not sold online at a USEA Area II event this fall (event and date TBD). Keep checking back for new items.
We will ship anywhere in the U.S.; buyer pays shipping costs.

Email Bonnie at bonnie.kibbie@gmail.com with any questions or for more information.