Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge 2009 at Blue Star Jets Field

Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge 2009 at Blue Star Jets Field

The often uttered phrase, “summer in the Hamptons” conjures up dozens of delightful pastimes and memories—but one thing is for certain, the Hamptons are just not The Hamptons without the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge at Blue Star Jets Field.

A staple in the social scene, the Bridgehampton Polo Club is the summer melting pot of celebrities, socialites, media, and jet-setters. There is a reason that the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge is a favorite on the Hamptons circuit. Unlike any other event, the A-list mingling and socializing takes place against the backdrop of highly-anticipated polo matches. The glamorous tradition has been enjoyed by a long, star-dominated list of past attendees including Anne Hathaway, Beth Ostrosky Stern, Brooke Shields, Debra Messing, Elizabeth Hurley, Jay-Z, Jeremy Piven, Jessica Alba, Mandy Moore, Natalie Portman, Chace Crawford, Kim Cattrall, Jessica Biel, and Christina Applegate, among many others.

This summer’s matches are already underway and the rest of the season promises to offer some of the most exciting in the sport of polo. The sport’s greatest athletes will compete for one of polo’s most treasured prizes. The season commenced on Saturday, July 18th for an unforgettable Opening Day, and continued for six consecutive Saturdays, ending August 22nd.

The coveted event of the summer, the VIP tent played host to an invitation-only cocktail reception for exclusive guests each Saturday afternoon during the tournament. In addition, this year’s season partners, joining efforts to make this year’s Challenge the most spectacular six weeks ever, included: Mercedes-Benz, Piaget, Blue Star Jets, Ralph Lauren, Pop Chips, Nespresso, Ferreti Yachts, Zino Platinum, Dellis Cay, Ameriprise Financial, Covertech, Riviera South Beach Hotel, Stoli, Robert Mondavi, Basil Hayden’s, Crumbs Bakery, Vue Water, Coca-Cola, and Alain Mikli.

The Insider’s Guide on this year’s Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge 2009 at Blue Star Jets Field.

HOST:
Bridgehampton Polo Club—The tournament host

WHEN:
Six consecutive Saturdays (from Opening Day—July 18, 2009 to the August 22, 2009)

WHERE:
Blue Star Jets Field at Two Trees Farm
849 Hayground Road
Bridgehampton, NY 11932.

COMPETING TEAMS:
CERTIFIED
CINQUE TERRE/HEATHCOTE
EQUEELEUS
W.B.F.
GREAT OAKS
BLACK WATCH

EXCLUSIVE APPAREL RETAILER: Polo Ralph Lauren will return this summer as the exclusive apparel retailer with an onsite shop at the Bridgehampton Polo matches. Evocative of the spirit and heritage of Polo, the shop will feature Ralph Lauren’s Black Watch collection and The World of Polo Fragrance. Spectators visiting the Ralph Lauren shop will have a great view of the polo matches and be able to enter to win a Polo lesson with Black Watch team member Nacho Figueras. www.ralphlauren.com

MEET THE SEASON PARTNERS:
Mercedes-Benz With a name that is synonymous with opulence, the Mercedes-Benz collection encompasses luxury, heritage, and innovation. A key partner, Mercedes-Benz brings the crème de la crème to the tournament. www.mbusa.com

Piaget Piaget’s reputation precedes itself—this Swiss luxury watchmaker and jeweler offers the most exquisite pieces in the world. www.piaget.com

Blue Star Jets
As the world’s largest private aircraft charter broker, Blue Star Jets offers an unparalleled level of personalized service. Founded by President Todd Rome and CEO Ricky Sitomer, their motto states, ANY JET, ANY TIME, ANY PLACE™. Blue Star Jets grants clients freedom from the financial constraints of fractional jet ownership; the savings of paying only for trips taken; and the flexibility to choose the best aircraft according to a trip’s specific budget requirement.
www.bluestarjets.com

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola brings the brand’s mission statement to the tournament: “To refresh the world…To inspire moments of optimism and happiness…To create value and make a difference.” www.thecoca-colacompany.com

Stoli Elit Stolichnaya’s super-luxury vodka, Stoli Elit showcases astonishing purity, elegance, and simplicity. It is born of a contemporary patented freeze-filtration process, replicating the age-old tradition. www.stoli.com

Riva Yachts The world’s major group of luxury boating, Riva’s engineering departments perfectly fuses technology and design in nautical design and performance. Their yacht models are legendary. www.riva-yacht.com

George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom opens New Visitor Center at Touro Synagogue in Newport, RI

GEORGE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OPENS NEW VISITORS CENTER AT TOURO SYNAGOGUE IN NEWPORT, RI

The George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom celebrated the opening of The Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. Visitors Center at Touro Synagogue on Sunday, August 2, 2009. Over 1,200 men, women and children attended on opening day.

United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Newport resident, was the first in the door on Sunday morning. He said, “This is not only an enormous contribution to Newport and Rhode Island but also to the entire country. It tells the story of religious freedom with pictures and videos in a very user-friendly way, accessible to all ages.”

Other visitors noted: “… this exhibit will singlehandedly change historic presentation in the city, and will definitely be on the must see list for anyone coming to Newport” and “From the moment you walked through the doors you could sense that it wasn’t going to be an ordinary experience.”

David Brussat, the leading architecture critic in Rhode Island, praised the design of the Loeb Visitors Center at Touro Synagogue in his Providence Journal article of July 30, 2009. “The Loeb Center’s primary aesthetic features all conspire to express their unorthodoxy in ways that help the building fit into its colonial context. Its rusticated Indiana limestone, its arched Palladian fenestration of mahogany, its gently pitched roof all proclaim its embrace of Newport’s architectural community. It is obviously a classical building, yet it is unlike any other. No work of classicism could possibly depart from canon with greater dignity, hence no building could possibly fit onto a historic street with greater distinction.”

The new Visitors Center features interactive, multimedia exhibits exploring the meaning and importance of George Washington’s 1790 Letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport. This extraordinary letter is the first and clearest presidential expression of support for American’s constitutional right to the free exercise of religious belief and the separation of church and state.

The Loeb Visitors Center further interprets and celebrates the history and architecture of Touro Synagogue, the oldest functioning synagogue building in the nation. First dedicated in 1763, the synagogue was designed by America’s first architect, Peter Harrison. In 1946, Touro Synagogue became a National Historic Site under the U.S. Parks Service. Then in 2001, the National Trust for Historic Preservation also selected the synagogue as a National Historic Site, making it the sole religious institution amongst only 29 properties to be designated with this honor.

The Loeb Visitors Center is located on the Touro Synagogue campus at the intersection of Touro and Spring Streets, Newport, RI and is open every Sunday-Friday, from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. The center is closed on Saturday. For more information, please visit www.tourosynagogue.org.

The George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom has built and will maintain the Loeb Visitors Center. The Institute’s mission is to promote awareness of the historic roots of religious liberty in America. In addition to the Loeb Visitors Center, the George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom supports educational and scholarship programs for individuals seeking to learn about and discuss the origins and development of American religious liberties.