May 14, 2024 By The Hingham Singers
On Saturday, May 4th, 2024 Pony Up for a Cause held its 9th Annual and final Kentucky Derby Party at the South Shore Country Club. This year’s sold out event raised over $13,000 for Hingham’s The Lead Out Foundation – an all time Pony Up record since its inception in 2014!
Dan and Mary Holleran established The Lead Out Foundation (TLO) in 2016 as a positive response to welcoming their first child into the world of parenting and Spina Bifida. The now family of four continues to live in Hingham with their two sons Liam and Timmy, both proud students at South Elementary School. TLO’s mission is to empower individuals and families who are affected by disabilities by fostering a more inclusive and supportive world. They provide grants to make life more accessible for people with disabilities. The term “lead out” refers to the cycling tactic in which a rider accelerates to their maximum speed for the benefit of a teammate in tow.
“TLO is dedicated to making life easier and more accessible for those impacted by disabilities and mobility issues,” states TLO founder Dan Holleran. “Thanks to events such as The Pony Up Party and our generous community of supporters, we are able to fund Quality of Life Grants for individuals/families in need. Past grants have provided or improved accessibility and independence through helping fund wheelchair ramps, accessible vans, ADA car modifications, durable medical equipment and adaptive bicycles, tricycles and strollers.” Find out more about TLO here: https://www.tlofoundation.org.
Members from the Hingham Singers, which includes TLO founder Mary Holleran, sang a program of bluegrass songs including the traditional “My Old Kentucky Home” to kick off the horse race.
The Pony Up for a cause committee was founded by Hingham natives Hilary Blowers Jenison, Alyssa Blowers Scordo, Sarah Blowers Melia and their mom Lois Blowers 10 years ago as a way to celebrate one of their favorite days of the year – the Kentucky Derby – while giving back to their community. Christine Smith and Patty McDonald joined the Pony Up planning committee in 2019 to transition and grow the event to the South Shore Country Club.
“We started Pony Up for a Cause in 2014 with a desire to have fun while giving back to the community,” shared co-founder Alyssa Scordo, “We’ve accomplished both goals raising over $150,000 for a variety of local non-profits while having a blast with friends and family.”
The Pony Up planning committee is pleased to announce that the annual Kentucky Derby Party at the South Shore Country Club will continue in 2025 under the leadership of The Lead Out Foundation!
“While the time has come for us to pass the torch,” continued Scordo. “We’re thrilled TLO plans to continue the tradition and help families in need. We can’t wait to Pony Up in 2025 and beyond”
Additional Pictures from the 9th Annual Kentucky Derby Event can be found here courtesy of Josh Ross Photography at https://www.joshuarossphotography.com/2024ponyup.
Please save the date of May 3, 2025 for the next TLO Kentucky Derby Party hosted at the new Ironwood Hingham – South Shore Country Club. Additional details and online tickets will be available in March 2025!
Join the Hingham Singers for their Rise and Sing: Songs of Hope concert on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 7:00PM at Hingham Congregational Church located at 378 Main St, Hingham, MA 02043. For more information and to purchase tickets online please visit https://tinyurl.com/4m4ndt39