There’s something uniquely special about the Peninsula Committee Children’s Hospital (PCCH), a homegrown nonprofit based here in the South Bay that has been raising money for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) for 65 years now. If you’ve attended PCCH’s Portuguese Bend National Horse Show (PBNHS) held every year in September at Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates, then you’ve undoubtedly felt it. There is a veritable brigade of amiable, smiling blue-check shirted volunteers happily sweating their way through a grueling three-day weekend to roll out the red carpet like no other horse show does. If you ask any of these dusty, war-weary volunteers why they do it, they will tell you that they love their charming, self-run, albeit exhausting horse show. And it’s the deep camaraderie and collective bond that has been forged between them over the years that creates a not-to-be-missed throwback-to-yesteryear aura that permeates every corner of this little horse show by the sea and gives it its legendary hometown charm.
Dreams of Horse Show Heaven Since 1957
It all started back in 1957 when the venerable Betty Learned received a call from Mary Duque at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) asking if she could help raise funds for a new recovery room. Betty called up her good friend Betty Davidson, and the two wrangled ten more vibrant Peninsula women to answer Mary’s call. “We never dreamed back in 1957 that PCCH would be alive and well 65 years later,” mused Betty Davidson, now an incredible 101 years old, the group’s beloved matriarch.
It was lifelong horse lover Davidson’s idea, along with fellow member Orel Dryden, to host a horse show fundraiser at the Portuguese Bend Stables for CHLA in 1958, for which they were chairmen. “Many naysayers warned us, ‘You can’t make money with a horse show,’” recalled Davidson. But the founders did their homework and studied other West Coast horse shows, noting that they’re expensive due to their extensive labor costs. Easy fix for these clever ladies – they roped in their husbands and children to work the show, and just like that, a determined and fun-loving group of families rolled up their sleeves and became the backbone of PCCH’s longevity and success.
Strength in Numbers
From that nimble beginning, PCCH has burgeoned to a robust roster of 173 South Bay families, all committed year-in and year-out to helping the patients at CHLA. And what’s really impressive is just how many generations of families are involved. “There are mothers and daughters, mothers and daughters-in-laws and sisters and sisters-in-law, aunts and nieces, too,” reported long-time member Vicky Lee, who helped secure the prestigious Pacific Coast Horse Association (PCHA) Medals Finals for the PBNHS in 1987. In fact, since the group’s inception, there have been 15 mother/daughter member sets, eight mother/daughter-in-law pairs, four sister-in-law duos and six sisters who have joined the group as adult members. Within the larger PCCH family, there is an estimated 30% of related members, and these true family lines keep the group connected and continue passing the volunteer baton to the next generation of impressively hard-working workers.
But this really isn’t surprising as these daughters and sisters grew up with the horse show as young girls, watching their mothers model hard work and also putting in long shifts with true accountability themselves. “We give our kids real responsibility. We have them running the booths and games, and they love it,” explained PCCH Historian Karen Learned, daughter-in-law of founder Betty. One of several members who met their spouses through the horse show, Learned stressed that, “The different generations are a factor. I was really young when I joined (27), but both sets of parents were members, and there was matchmaking going on! PCCH includes so much of the family, and that’s why it works.”
Growing Up Horse Show
Tory Todaro, who was introduced to PCCH in 7th grade when her mother Betsy Miller joined the group, remembers the feeling of one big extended family. “The motto we had was, “Work hard and SMILE,” recalled Todaro, this year’s Chair of Ring Operations, whose sister Molly and daughter Ella have competed in past PBNH shows. “We help each other like family. We won’t let someone fall. Everybody will catch you,” Todaro explained. Musing on what makes PCCH so unique, Tory’s father Chuck explained, “I can’t think of any other philanthropic group that has this feeling of a family. And it involves every bit of your family. It isn’t about giving money, it’s giving of your time, and so when you’re rolling up your sleeves, you really get to know everyone, and that’s really unique, too.” And give their time they do, with 270 PCCH volunteers working the show last year compiling an estimated 4,860 hours collectively over the course of the three-day weekend.
The Bonding of the Blue Checkered Shirts
There is a certain pride and responsibility that members feel when representing PCCH at the horse show. “All the people that have worn the shirts and manned the booths before you, when you’re there, you can almost feel their spirit and strength. They worked their tails off,” emphasized Todaro. “Because the work is so hard but also so fun, there is this bonding experience that happens,” explained Vicky Lee. “Our mantra has always been, ‘If it’s not fun, we don’t want to do it.’” Miller elaborated, “We have met some of our very best friends through the horse show. They’re now lifelong friends. We do things together. We travel together.”
What’s really telling is that no one in the group is above doing the most menial tasks. “People are very humble. You wouldn’t be in this group without humility,” explained Miller.
There are Fortune 500 CEOs, lawyers, CPAs and doctors nonplussed by flipping burgers over a hot grill all day under the scorching sun, scooping up omnipresent horse manure, cleaning busy crowd-surged bathrooms and waiting tables ringside. “Being a member of this wonderful group of families has shown me that I can be proud and happy as president or peon,” aptly summed up Davidson. “It’s almost like inviting people into your home— that’s how members treat it,” Todaro analogized.
There’s an unmistakable element of pride and accountability that the PBNHS ingrains in members, most notably its youngest. “When they were younger, my kids’ excitement for the horse show was bigger than Christmas,” underscored member Wendy Moulton, second-generation daughter to member Chris Cheatham. “Not sure it’s quite the same now that they are teenagers,” chuckled Moulton, “But it’s definitely a national holiday in our house.”
It Takes a Tough Cookie
According to Davidson, PCCH taps leaders who are “strong in purpose but gentle in execution; women with a little experience, a sense of humor, dedication to a job well done, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn on the job without feeling pressured by expectations.”
Davidson’s daughter, Sherry Gentry, who worked her first horse show in 1958 as a child, was also horse show chairman in 1977 and later PCCH president in 1982. And in 2019, the reins of president were passed to Sherry’s daughter-in-law, Lisa Gentry, putting three generations of the same dedicated family in the leadership saddle. “Being in charge can be scary only in that everyone is so dedicated and hardworking,” Sherry said.
“Embracing Our Past, Showing Up for Their Future”
Each year, a theme is selected that encompasses PCCH’s heartfelt mission, and the hospital designates beneficiary departments to which outside fundraising dollars will go – this year that is The Associates Chair of Endocrinology and The Associates Chair of Transplant Surgery at CHLA. Explained by this year’s Horse Show Chair Meredith Edwards, whose mother Judy Holly joined PCCH in 1987, “We wanted our theme this year to celebrate our heritage of 65 years of service on behalf of the critically-ill children being treated at CHLA.” President Carey Romer continued, “We actually have a few members whose children and/or grandchildren were treated at the hospital, all of which underscores for us just how important our work is – not only the patients, but also the amazing doctors, nurses, researchers and staff at CHLA.”
Don’t Miss the 64th Annual Portuguese Bend National Horse Show
Held once again at beautiful Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates, this year’s show runs from September 9 to 11. Check out the buoyant, hometown, fun family atmosphere created via rustic decorations, tasty food booths, festive boutiques and entertaining children’s activities. Proudly donning their signature blue-and-white checked shirts, PCCH’s cheerful, multi-generational, all-volunteer crew will be sure to greet you and ensure you enjoy your time at the show!
About the PBNHS
This A-rated horse show has two fully scheduled rings offering a wide variety of classes, including the prestigious PCHA Horsemanship Medal Finals for riders 14 and under and 18-34, as well as the PCHA Victor Hugo-Vidal Adult Horsemanship Finals for riders 35 and over. In addition, the $10,000 Harman Jr.-A/O Jumper Classic and the $15,000 Seahorse Jumper Classic promise to challenge some of the West Coast’s finest riders with difficult and exciting courses. Right in the middle of it all is the kick-up-your-boots hoedown “gala,” affectionately known as “Saturday Night Supper,” where all weary volunteers and their guests gather for a scrumptious barbecue dinner, convivial cocktails and lively country dancing under the stars.
Help the Purse Continue to Grow
When asked what makes her most proud about the PCCH family that she was instrumental in starting, Davidson stated enthusiastically, “That we have made a great deal of money for Children’s Hospital over these 65 years, and have not lost the warmth of camaraderie, friendship and FUN!” And as always, Betty is right! Since 1957, this tiny but mighty South Bay family-centric, all-volunteer group has raised over $19 million dollars for CHLA.
Perhaps Chuck Miller sums it up best: “You can’t go away from this event and not have the feeling that this world is good.”
So come on down to the horse show with your kids, have a wonderful time and help improve the lives of children that need our help the most. It really is a family affair!
