A summer Sunday afternoon of championship polo will provide the setting as the Old Westbury College Foundation, Inc. kicks off its efforts to raise funds to restore the historic Clark Family Stables, located on the campus of the State University of New York College at Old Westbury.

Presented in cooperation with the Meadow Brook Polo Club, among the most historic polo clubs in the nation, the benefit polo match and cocktail reception will be held on Sunday, July 14 from 3 to 6 p.m. at Hickox Field, located on Whitney Lane in Old Westbury. Tickets for the benefit polo match are $75 per person. Children under the age of 12 will be admitted at no charge."We are pleased to be able to begin the effort of restoring these beautiful stables to the magnificence they held in the heyday of F.Ambrose Clark," said Foundation Chair Robert McMillan, citing the historic horseman whose former estate now serves as the college's campus. "Once complete, these stables will serve as a valuable resource both for the college and the community, offering the college's students and its neighbors alike opportunities to learn about and enjoy equestrian activities."

To rehabilitate the Clark Family Stables, which have been unused since the 1980s, the foundation has set a fund-raising target of $1 million.

Originally called the F. Ambrose Clark Racing Stables, the college's equestrian-related facilities include a two-story open air facility featuring a covered promenade and an internal courtyard, a quarter-mile track, riding circles, and outdoor shed-row stables. As monies become available, the first phase of the redevelopment will focus on the shed-row stables.

The Meadow Brook Polo Club is among the most historic polo clubs in the nation, with its roots dating back to 1877. The club participated in the first-ever polo match on Long Island, setting the stage for the region's role as "polo capital of the world" during the 1920s. The club recaptured that title in 1994 when it served as host to the U.S. Open Polo Championship, the premier event in American polo. Today, the Meadow Brook Polo Club draws crowds of up to 1,500 for its matches, which are held either at Hickox Field or Bethpage State Park on Sundays from late May through early October.

The Old Westbury College Foundation, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting SUNY College at Old Westbury in becoming the flagship Arts & Sciences College in the SUNY system.

Directed by its board, the foundation solicits gifts, grants and endowments that enhance the educational, research and community service mission of the college. Funds raised through foundation activities, help bridge the gap between tuition and operating expenses at the college, and ensure that Old Westbury's students have the best educational experience possible.