Virginia Polo Endowment Fund
Gifts made to the Endowment Fund are an investment in the future of the Virginia Polo Program, ensuring generations to come will get to enjoy polo at an affordable price.
Thanks to our donors we have the luxury of a great facility and horses, making Virginia Polo the premier collegiate polo program in the country, but the program does not yet enjoy financial security. Our goal is to be self-sustaining on an annual basis through a fully-funded endowment, please reach out to us if you would like to help us reach this goal.
Virginia Polo, Inc. has a $400,000 annual operating budget. In keeping with our mission of making polo affordable, each student member pays dues of only $1,500-$2,000 per year, while the actual cost per student is closer to $8,000 per year. The majority of the funds needed to run the program come from Annual Fund, donations made by alumni, parents, grandparents and friends of the program. When contributions do not meet our budget, the program must use funds from savings (The Endowment).
If you would like to make a transformational gift to The Endowment Fund, and ensure the longevity of Virginia Polo, please contact Jenny Germroth at jenny@vapolo.org.
Rinehart Polo Pony Fund
All donations to this fund are used exclusively for the care of the horses.
Income from The Rinehart Polo Pony Fund will be used to help support the cost of maintaining the donated ponies of Virginia Polo.
The Polo Pony Fund was started by lead gifts from Debby and Mark Pirrung, Class of 1973, and Dick "Remo" Riemenschneider, Class of 1959. Mr. Pirrung and Mr. Riemenschneider are former members of the University of Virginia Polo Team and recipients of the wisdom, legendary hospitality, and kindness of the Rineharts.
Named for the late Rodger and Bobo Rinehart, this endowment memorializes how instrumental to the foundation and development of this premier collegiate polo facility they were from its beginning in the 1950’s, until their passing in 2008. The proper care of the numerous polo ponies owned by Virginia Polo was one of the Rineharts' major interests and concerns.
Read on with the link below to learn more about how the Rineharts supported many generations of Virginia Polo players and helped build the club we know today.
Rodger Rinehart's Legacy at UVA: A Man for All Seasons by Brad Scherer
Donations are tax-deductible.