NEWS:

SWING INTO SPRING WITH CHUKKERS FOR CHILDREN
Washington Based Businesses, Charity, and Polo Club Team Up
to Raise Money for the District’s Children

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 5, 2005 – Spring’s newest arrival this year will be the comeback of polo to the Washington area with the inaugural “Chukker’s for Children” charity polo season. Beginning May 15 and running through October 15, Washingtonians can spend their weekends watching polo and supporting the D.C. based charity, The Many Hats Institute. The charity is teaming up with the Potomac Polo Club at Summerhill to raise money for the District’s children through polo. Polo goers can choose between a “Town or Country” setting, with Saturday matches at the Potomac Polo Club in Poolesville, MD, and Sunday matches at the polo field on The National Mall. Both Saturday and Sunday games will be played from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., all games are open to the public (there is no admission fee on The Mall, and a $10 general admission fee for the Potomac Polo Club, $30 for admission to the VIP tent and $100 for a tailgate spot which includes general admission fees for six).

Many of Washington’s most prominent businesses have joined forces with the Many Hats Institute to sponsor this years “Chukkers for Children” polo season and sixty percent of all monies raised through sponsorship will be given to the Many Hats Institute, a non-profit, non-government, 501 © (3) organization, whose mission is to improve the conditions of children and youths worldwide through programs such as the East of the River Initiative.*

Sponsors of the inaugural charity polo season include: Gucci, Porsche, Thomas Pink, the Grooming Lounge, Capitol File, Nassiri Consulting, ABC radio and The Madison hotel. Sponsors can participate on a bronze, gold, silver or platinum level with each level entitling the donor to various levels of media exposure and member benefits.*

“We are fortunate that many of the local businesses in and around the District have signed on to support The Many Hats by participating in the “Chukker’s for Children” season, said Fabian Koss, founder of The Many Hats Institute. We’ve had tremendous support from companies such as The Madison hotel, which has been a long time partner of the Many Hats Institute, and last year, along with Porsche, helped to raise $10,000 for the charity through their annual polo tournament The Madison Cup. ”

The Madison hotel, which fields its own polo team, will be a constant on the polo field this season led by The Madison’s owner and team Captain Dave Pollin and The Madison’s polo pro Charles Muldoon, a six goal scorer and owner of the Potomac Polo Club. Muldoon’s association with The Many Hats Institute prompted the partnership between The Madison and the Potomac Polo Club, and also led Muldoon and Many Hats Founder, Fabian Koss, to offer polo sponsorship opportunities to other businesses in the District, in order to raise money and awareness for the underprivileged youth in Washington.

“ Polo has always been a popular sport in this area, but in the last several years there really hasn’t been a regimented polo season. Fabian and I were searching for a way to continue fundraising for Many Hats and we decided to create a polo season around the charity, based on the success we had with the Madison Cup polo tournament last fall. The response has been phenomenal and we’ve managed to secure more sponsors and media partners than we could have imagined,” noted Charles Muldoon.

In honor of the polo season, The Many Hat’s Institute has recently launched a Web site dedicated to the 2005 polo Season. Please visit www.gopolo.com for more information on sponsorships, the season’s schedule and special tournaments. The design and development of Gopolo.com Web site is collaboration between Nassiri Consulting and PixelBlue. Additionally Nassiri Consulting will be supporting Gopolo.com activity by providing web strategy, project management and web operation support.

The Many Hats Institute was founded in 1999 to serve as a not-for-profit, non-governmental 501 organization dedicated to improving the conditions for youth worldwide. It is supported by a network of professionals from various backgrounds, who raise funds and provide technical assistance to promote community development and engage youth to become resources for their communities. As such, with no paid staff or overhead, every dollar raised is utilized to benefit our future – the world’s youth.

Established in 1963 and re-established in 2003, The Madison is a Washington landmark offering 353- luxuriously appointed accommodations including balcony suites on its penthouse level. Embracing the elegant sophistication of the original hotel, the renewed The Madison blends timelessly classic early 19th century design traditions with the 21st century amenities and gracious services expected of a contemporary luxury property. The restored hotel also adheres to The Madison tradition of being a one-of-a-kind, independent entity with a distinct personality. As the only hotel in the District with its own polo team, The Madison will host the Second Annual Madison Cup on September 10, 2005 where it will take on the British Royal Guard polo team.

* The East of the River Initiative is a program designed to bring the arts, community building and the values of self-esteem to District children who live east of the river in wards 7 and 8.
* To learn more about becoming a sponsor of the 2005 Polo Season please visit www.gopolo.com.