Family ReEntry and Fairfield County LOOK Bring Criminal Justice Awareness to Greenwich Polo

Support Family ReEntry when you attend the LOOK VIP tent for Greenwich Polo held on Sunday, August 27th from 1 – 5pm at the Greenwich Polo Club, located at One Hurlingham Drive, Greenwich, CT. Tickets are now available here.

To provide details about the cause and the event, we asked Jeff Grant, Executive Director of Family ReEntry these questions.

Q: Polo and criminal justice seem like a very unlikely pairing. Can you explain the connection?
Jeff Grant: Family ReEntry has been serving the needs of Connecticut families suffering from criminal justice related issues for over thirty years. We have had tremendous support from Greenwich and other affluent communities, yet most people still don’t recognize that incarceration-related issues affect everybody regardless of zip code. Our goal with this family-friendly event is to create awareness, raise support and have a great time.

Q: Why Polo?
JG: Elaine Ubina (CEO of Fairfield County LOOK) is very progressive and saw things imaginatively in inviting us to participate in the LOOK VIP tent. Family ReEntry jumped at LOOK’s very kind offer to be the nonprofit partner for the polo event coming up on August 27th.

Q: What can guests expect at the Family ReEntry polo event on August 27th?
JG: In a word: FUN! My wife Lynn Springer and I attended polo in the tent in early July and it was a wonderful, casual, comfortable experience done just right with great food, drinks, music, friends, families, children – and even dogs (well-behaved ones)! And we even got to “stomp the divots” after the first half. If guests have never been to polo they will be in for a surprise – it was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable afternoons we’ve spent in a long time.

Q: How can guests participate in your cause?
JG: First by joining us on August 27th; a portion of proceeds from each VIP ticket, table or front row lounge will be donated to Family ReEntry. But that’s just the start for people who want to get involved. We have opportunities to volunteer in one of our programs, be a mentor to a child whose parent is in prison, become an ambassador, attend an event to learn more about criminal justice issues – and of course we appreciate all donations.

Q: Why is this important now?
JG: Family ReEntry provides critical, cost-effective support in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, family counseling, domestic violence, fatherhood, mentoring, housing, employment, etc. Some of these programs help prevent people from going to prison. Others assist people returning from prison (and their families) so they are less likely to return to criminal behavior and/or return to prison. However, Connecticut’s fiscal crisis has caused a state-wide cut back or termination of many of these essential services. That’s why, more than ever, we need private, foundation and corporate support and contributions.

Q: Can anyone get tickets for the Family ReEntry/Look VIP Greenwich Polo tent?
JG: Of course. Admission to the LOOK VIP Tent includes food, drinks, music, shade, private restroom and special attractions, a portion of which is donated to Family ReEntry. It’s a family event – children and dogs are welcome! Ticket levels include VIP tickets ($200), Child VIP tickets ($50), group tables for ten ($4,000) and front row lounges for ten ($5000). All tickets can be purchased online here.

Q: When/where is the event?
JG: Greenwich Polo Club, Sunday, August 27th, 1 – 5 pm, One Hurlingham Drive, Greenwich, CT (head north from the Merritt Parkway North Street exit).

Q: How can we make a donation even if we can’t attend?
JG: Family ReEntry gratefully accepts donations on our website (familyreentry.org), or by check sent to: Family ReEntry, 75 Washington Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604.

About Fairfield County LOOK:
Fairfield County LOOK is a publishing and marketing firm specializing in event photography, strategic partnerships and media management in Fairfield County, Conn., and beyond. The readership is affluent and sophisticated, and our publications are designed to inform and entertain. Fairfield County LOOK, a luxury online magazine featuring many of the region’s premier events, articles on design, travel, real estate and more, and Greenwich LOOK, a luxury lifestyle magazine capturing countless fundraisers and fêtes organized by distinguished residents and nonprofits, and publishing original articles on fashion, travel, home design and in-depth interviews. In addition, Fairfield County Look’s creative team collaborates with businesses and individuals to bring visibility and growth to professionals through promotions, marketing materials and customized magazines. With our combined experience, we bring more than 40 years of web development, design, marketing and communications to the table-all working to achieve our clients’ goals. www.fairfieldcountylook.com

About Greenwich Polo Club:
Nestled in the beautiful backcountry of Connecticut, Greenwich Polo Club was established in 1981 and is recognized as one of the elite high-goal polo venues in the world, known for its unmatched roster of legendary teams, professional players, and champion equine athletes, fondly known as polo ponies. Distinguished families, young entrepreneurs, artists, and well-known personalities are all part of the international dynamic which makes Greenwich Polo Club so unique. Each match showcases eight players galloping on horseback across a 300-yard field at speeds of up to 35MPH. The club is home to the legendary White Birch polo team, one of the most successful in history, having won the most high-goal polo tournaments of any team over the course of the past 25 years, including the US Open Polo Championship in 2005. Each Spring players descend on Greenwich with their strings of champion horses to compete for one of polo’s most prestigious cups. Each Sunday match is attended by more than 2,000 spectators flocking from New York City, Fairfield and Westchester counties, to witness the highest caliber of polo while enjoying an afternoon with friends and family. The Greenwich Polo Club is located at 1 Hurlingham Drive in Greenwich, CT. More information is available at https://greenwichpoloclub.com/

About Family ReEntry

Family ReEntry, a 501c3 nonprofit, was founded in 1984 as a reentry support group for men at the Isaiah House in Bridgeport. It has since grown to include policy advocacy, and intervention, prevention, in-prison, reentry, fatherhood and youth & family programs. Over the past 33 years, effective advocacy efforts and community-based programs developed by Family ReEntry have significantly reduced the likelihood that clients will re-offend, be re-arrested, or be re-incarcerated. Its programs provide a spectrum of services designed to disrupt the intergenerational cycle of incarceration. Family ReEntry addresses the specific needs of each client and their families through individualized case management and support services. It works to create a positive social network for each client, helping make their transition from prison back into the community a successful, self-sufficient one, while strengthening their families and the community. Family ReEntry operates its programs in strategic locations that encompass eight municipal regions and judicial geographic areas, two parole districts and five prisons. Approximately, sixty-percent of those served by Family ReEntry are from greater Bridgeport – Connecticut’s largest city. The organization has offices in Bridgeport, Norwalk and New Haven, CT. Programs are also held in Stamford, Waterbury, Derby, New London and Norwich, CT.