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Fundación Pro-Alvear: From La Pampa, to the rest of the world

Juan Pepa, chairman of the foundation, speaks about the beginnings of this organization and about the outstanding Pro Alvear Polo Cup

The 2011 Copa Pro Alvear takes place, on June 18th at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club.

Only three days remain before the 2011 Copa Pro Alvear takes place, on June 18th at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club. This will be the event's sixth edition, one of the most acknowledged charity polo events in the world.

The organization corresponds to the Fundación Pro-Alvear, whose origins can be traced down to the town of Intendente Alvear, in the state of La Pampa, Argentina, a place that is known as being a real seed-bed of polo talent since a long time ago.

It is with great pride that LivingPolo.com will be forming part of this sensational event, and we spoke with Juan Pepa, the foundation's chairman, who referred himself to the beginnings of the organization, and mentioned the value of the people who give their absolute best so as to help, and also gave details on the forthocming event.

To give a better idea of what Pro-Alvear is all about, Pepa mentions that it is "a nonprofit organization, integrative, with no political aims, which is searching for long-term results," and that "since more than eight years (it was founded in 2003) it is like a godparent of the state of La Pampa, in Argentina, going ahead with the well-being and social and economic development for its people, protecting, educating and looking after its children."

Pepa also points out that the beginnings of Pro-Alvear were not simple: "Those were times in which the country (Argentina) was in a sort of revolution, there was almost a feeling of anarchy in the air, one simply had to get on with things and work, because the roof of our ranch was falling on our heads. And so we began working very humbly in a town of La Pampa called Intendente Alvear, and today we are in eleven little villages of the zone, with all our social artillery."

Despite the fact that the aim of this article is to give more precisions regarding the forthcoming polo tournament in aid of this organization, it would be a mistake to think that Pro-Alvear is merely referred to this sport. Some of the activities the foundation goes ahead with, says Pepa, are the quest for an improvement in the education of the children of La Pampa, by way of courses for the teachers, promoting trips for furthering those teachers' studies, supporting the creation of science labs, technology centres, the caretaking of hundreds of children and youngsters who each week play tennis, hockey and volleyball, support of the agricultural sector, capacitating blacksmiths, horse tamers, horsecarers, even tractor drivers in their specific jobs, among other things.

In what refers to the foundation and polo, Juan Pepa very clearly states that "polo has been the best product that the state of La Pampa has exported in all its history, and the Heguy family is the best example of this, one could even go further and say that after the agriculture, nowadays polo is the second industry to have brought most progress to the North region of La Pampa, there are many reasons why the foundation is related to this sport, but one of the most important ones is that many of the people who support it play polo and are fanatics of this sport."

"What we have managed to do is a marriage between the wishes of helping and a hobby. The Pro Alvear Cup is nowadays one of the main means of financing the Fundación Pro Alvear," said Pepa.

Something worthy of mention is the fact of going ahead with such an important event despite the limitations of a nonprofit organization. The chairman mentions that preparations "are done in a very professional manner, with plenty of organization, and very much bearing in mind the principles of the foundation, the best polo players know that there is a worthy cause behind all this, and that the party following the polo tournament's end is perhaps the most enjoyable one in the world."

Taking part in the tournament will be some of the world's leading names of polo players, such as Pieres, Al Habtoor, Heguy, García Huidobro, Laprida, among others. This means, says Pepa, that "the leading patrons are very happy with the chance of donating money towards a worthy cause and to be able to play with this type of pros, and also the best sponsors are delighted in donating money for a cause of this type, and they also know they have a target regarding patrons and celebrities which it is very hard to reach."

Juan Pepa contributes a piece of interesting information for the ladies: "the most beautiful girls probably don't know about the worthy cause behind all this, but with the fact of the pros and the patrons being in the club, they are delighted to go and try to find a boy-friend and they contribute to make this the best polo party in the world."

Preparations for Saturday's "party" are being finalized. Apart from the polo matches among the six teams (All Saints, Generation, Abelli, Gaucho, Automat and Genghis Kahn), there will be "many surprises, among which I can include The Noisettes group, doing an achoustic show, and our enchanting Schilla Ruffo di Calabria, who will proceed to her international launch in what so far is her brief career as a DJ."

In what refers to the use of the Royal Berkshire Polo Club's facilities, Pepa was full of praise, mentioning that "there's no other club in the United Kindom that has offered its facilities to the Fundación Pro Alvear in the way the Royal County of Berkshire club has done."

Among the patrons of the foundation are the Pieres brothers and Heguy brothers, Argentinean hockey player Luciana Aymar, the La Nación daily newspaper and the La Martina brand, among many others. For Pepa and the foundation, this represents "a huge responsibility, as Pro-Alvear belongs to all these people and these institutions, there is no 'fool' behind all this with an insecurity complex who needs to work on it to demonstrate how kind-hearted he is, nor asking for the flashes to be directed towards him."

What is mentioned in this article are not only words: the realization of all this is without any doubts much more complex than merely naming it. But surely all is worthwhile when the answer are the beneficiaries: "the people in La Pampa respond with their commitment. When one sees that a farmer commits by donating money and time so as to help his people, that is when you realize that this foundation works properly. And that response is what a foreign donor is looking for. And that is where the commitment of the Fundación Pro-Alvear lies: I always say that we are not the most intelligent people, but perhaps we might be the best in what refers to making things happen," Pepa said.

By David Cattaneo, LivingPolo.com