Five local organizations profit from a popular pastime.
Point-to-Point: Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library
The 39th Annual Point-to-Point benefits the continued maintenance and preservation of the garden and estate at Winterthur, the premier museum of American decorative arts. Almost 60 years ago, collector and horticulturist Henry Francis du Pont opened his childhood home to the public. Today, Winterthur is home to a collection of nearly 90,000 objects made or used in America from about 1640 to 1860 that are displayed in the grand 175-room house in Delaware’s Chateau Country, as well as in permanent and changing exhibition galleries.
Winterthur sits on a 1,000-acre preserve of rolling meadows and woodlands where the Point-to-Point racetrack was cut into the countryside. Designed by du Pont, its 60-acre naturalistic garden is among America’s best, with magnificent specimen plantings and massed displays of color. Graduate programs and a research library make Winterthur an important center for the study of American art and culture.
In his later years, du Pont wrote: “I sincerely hope that the museum will be a continuing source of inspiration and education for all time, and that the gardens and grounds will of themselves be a country place museum where visitors may enjoy, as I have, not only the flowers, trees and shrubs, but also the sunlit meadows, shady wood paths, and the peace and great calm of a country place which has been loved and taken care of for three generations.”
To learn more, call (800) 448-3883 or visit www.winterthur.org.
Willowdale Steeplechase: Stroud Water Research Center
The Willowdale Steeplechase benefits three different organizations with diverse missions, including the Stroud Water Research Center, which was founded in 1967. Located in Avondale, this organization concentrates on streams and rivers, how they function as a whole, and the complex web of life that inhabits them. Businesses, government policymakers, landowners and community volunteers use the center’s scientific research findings to make informed decisions about issues that affect water quality and availability, from land-use planning and stormwater management to water treatment and conservation.
To learn more, call (610) 268-2153 or visit www.stroudcenter.org.
Radnor Hunt Races: Brandywine Conservancy
The presenting sponsor for the 87th Radnor Hunt Races is BNY Mellon Wealth Management. All proceeds from Racing for Open Space benefit the programs of the Brandywine Conservancy in Chadds Ford.
The conservancy protects water, preserves land and engages communities using a multifaceted approach to conservation. That includes not only working closely with private landowners who wish to see their properties protected forever, but also providing innovative community-planning services to municipalities and other government agencies.
Currently, the conservancy holds 469 conservation and agricultural easements, and it has facilitated the permanent preservation of more than 62,000 acres of land to benefit
generations to come.
To learn more, call (610) 388-2700 or visit www.brandywineconservancy.org.
Willowdale Steeplechase: Quest Therapeutic Services
The special instructors and licensed physical, occupational and language communication therapists at Quest Therapeutic Services in West Chester provide a full range of intense pediatric therapy services to enhance the lives of children with disabilities in the Delaware Valley and enable them to develop their full potential. One of these services is hippotherapy, in which children interact with horses.
To learn more, call (610) 692-0017 or visit www.questtherapeutic.com.
Willowdale Steeplechase: New Bolton Center
The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square is acclaimed for its care of large animals. It operates 24/7, 365 days a year, handling nearly 4,900 animal patient visits in the hospital and more than 38,000 patients on local farms.
To learn more, call (610) 444-5800 or visit www.vet.upenn.edu.