Newport Polo’s 24th Annual International Polo Charity Ball unfurled like a tropical garden in full bloom last Friday, August 1, as Singapore Swing, presented by BD, soared to new heights in support of local conservation. The sold-out soirée at the storied Rosecliff Mansion blossomed into a dazzling night of elegance, philanthropy, and environmental stewardship, raising over $80,000 for leading eco-initiatives.

Honoring the Singapore Polo Team and the nation’s exemplary leadership in sustainability, this year’s gala rooted its mission in nurturing a greener future. Beneficiaries included Eastern RI Conservation District, Save The Bay, Roger Williams Park Zoo, and Newport Tree Conservancy—organizations tending the landscapes, shorelines, habitats, and canopies that define Rhode Island’s natural heritage.

“We are deeply grateful to our generous sponsors, donors and enthusiastic bidders, who have helped Newport Polo raise over $2.3 million to date for nonprofit organizations over the past 34 years,” said Dan Keating, Newport Polo Founder and President.

Sponsoring the event were BD, Vanderbilt International Properties, Redfin Premier, Love Tito’s, Clarke Cooke House, The Cocktail Guru, and Graphix Plus.

“As a farmer, I know how vital healthy soil and clean water are—not just for agriculture, but for our whole community,” said Nancy Parker Wilson, Chair of the Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District. “It’s an honor to celebrate with friends from Singapore in such a joyful way—bringing people together for the planet we all share.”

A Gilded Garden Party
From the moment guests glided along Rosecliff’s red carpet, they stepped into a living tableau of flora and fauna. Gala Ambassadors greeted attendees against the backdrop of sunset hues over the Atlantic, while The Cocktail Guru served nature-inspired elixirs paired with Singaporean delicacies—sesame shrimp toast, chili crab in puff pastry, grilled satay, and curry samosas—each a nod to the flavors of the equatorial garden city.

Fashion flourished in the night air, with evening gowns in botanical & wildlife prints, vibrant tropical tones, and feathered flourishes mingling with whimsical dinner jackets—a vivid parade of orchids, peacocks, and palms come to life.

Bidding for the Wild
On the tented terrace, a silent auction buzzed like a tropical aviary as guests vied for curated treasures—some joining remotely—before the tempo shifted indoors for the evening’s main event. Under the crystal chandeliers of the Redfin Ballroom, MC Molly Levine of NBC10 and Keating welcomed the Singapore Polo Team and gala sponsors and patrons before passing the microphone to auctioneer William Crisp.

The live auction’s rare offerings—an African photo safari, a Jackson Hole ski odyssey, luxury yacht cruise, Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show Getaway, Guest Commentator and bespoke culinary experiences—were snapped up as fast as hummingbirds at a hibiscus bloom, each bid fueling the cause.

A Feast of the Senses
Blackstone Catering’s menu was a garden of flavors: chilled rice noodle salad with snow peas and coriander leaf, short rib rendang with sambal shrimp, and coconut panna cotta crowned with mango sorbet and lime crumble.

When dinner gave way to dancing, the ballroom floor transformed into a vibrant meadow of movement, as guests swayed and spun until the stroke of midnight. The night’s final migration led to Clarke Cooke House’s Skybar for the last toast beneath Newport’s starlit canopy.

A Legacy in Full Bloom
The evening’s success marks another milestone in Newport Polo’s legacy of giving, each gala planting seeds of change for communities and ecosystems alike. From coral reefs to tree canopies, and from pasture to open sea, the 2025 Singapore Swing proved that when elegance meets purpose, the results can be as enduring as nature itself.

Auction Committee Acknowledgements: Sara Churgin, Jessica Cullinan, Leanne Danielsen, Natasha Harrison, Agnes Keating, Stacie Mills, Stella Piasecki, Wynter Sands, Meg Stowe, Tempie Thompson and Megan Tierney gratefully recognize the generous donors, without whom the evening could not have reached such success:

Alessandra Dolnier
Andrea Breyer
Aquidneck Farms
Ashley Rose Esthetics
Audrain Automobile Museum
Audubon Society of RI
Bar & Board
Barton & Gray Mariners Club
Betty Maloof
Blackstone Catering
Bodhi Spa
Brenton Hotel
Coach Emily Friedman, RN
Cruise RI
Cynthia Katz
Daisy Edition Farm
Davio’s Steakhouse
Domina’s Agway
Dover Saddlery
Earth Essence Herbals
Eastern RI Conservation District
FabNewport
Farmaesthetics
FirmMD
Foxwoods Resort Casino
Francesca Dolnier
Galaray House
Garrett Meeks
Goslings Rum
Graphix Plus
Hannoush Jewelers
Herbs and Mylk
Hotel Viking
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Jess Burns Yoga
Jessica Cullinan
Lagom Body Co
Lindebroeke Press
Lovewell Farms
Mancini Beverage Company
Mirabeau Inn and Spa
Modern Luxury Boston
Newport Polo
Newport Vineyards
Newport YMCA
Norman Bird Sanctuary
On Watch Sailing
Ōra Beauty
Pasta Beach
Peter Jenkins / Steve Rizzo: Stable Sound Studios
Pinehills Golf Club
Preservation Society of Newport County
Providence Performing Arts Center
Pulse Gym
Robert Chevian
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Rose Island Lighthouse
Run Newport
Savage Law Partners LLP
Save The Bay
Scot West Family
Shelia Nequist
Silvia Tcherassi
Stacie Mills
Stella Piasecki
Sweetberry Farm
TD Bank
The Aquidneck Club
The Chanler
The Cocktail Guru
The Newport Experience
The ReFill
Tom Brace & William Shaw
Trinity Rep
Valerie Griffiths

White Horse Tavern
Wynter Sands

Click to view the Album of Photos

NEWPORT POLO’S CHARITABLE INITIATIVES

Newport Polo’s annual Charity Ball found its start at the turn of the millennium to extend the goodwill of Newport Polo to provide lasting community benefit, and has become the pinnacle of its community fundraising efforts which have contributed millions of dollars through its charitable initiatives.  With 2025’s gala fundraising results tabulated, Newport Polo is grateful to its supporters in helping raise over $2,300,000 for nonprofit organizations over its past 34 seasons through its gala auction, its benefit matches, Season Program Ad Sales for the Rotary Scholarship Fund and ticket donations for the Newport International Polo Series, among other fundraising efforts. 

Proclaimed the Ball of all Balls by Newport Living & Lifestyles, the annual sell-out affair is one of the most anticipated in Newport’s summer calendar.  Proceeds from the silent and live auctions are donated to non-profit causes whose mission benefits our community, selected from nominees in the months ahead.  Tickets are anticipated to go on sale in December, announced in Newport Polo’s monthly Digital Magazine by private email subscription.  The featured international guest of honor, event theme, and additional gems are novelties each year.

“Community stewardship is one of Newport Polo’s core principles,” commented Founder, Dan Keating.  “Its charitable initiatives preceded even the start of the Newport International Polo Series over three decades ago with the first Rotary Benefit Match, and we seek to continue building on past success to secure our community’s future.” 

In its 24 years, the annual charity gala has benefitted the Eastern RI Conservation District, Newport Tree Conservancy, Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice, Newport Historical Society, The Jeffrey Osborne Foundation, Newport Classical, Save The Bay, Newport Opera Performing Arts Center, newportFILM, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Hope Funds for Cancer Research, Star Kids Scholarship Program, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, Wounded Warrior Project, and others.  

Opportunities abound for individuals and businesses to make an impact in the coming year beyond attending.  Event sponsorship and auction donations are invited to drive the success of the evening.  Please contact Newport Polo’s GM, Agnes Keating, by email to agnes@newportpolo.com to lend your support.

ABOUT ROSECLIFF

Rosecliff is the premier estate amidst America’s finest collection of Gilded Age mansions. After a fairytale wedding, Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs commissioned architect Stanford White in 1899 to model Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles. After the house was completed in 1902, at a reported cost of $2.5 million, Mrs. Oelrichs hosted fabulous entertainments here, including a party featuring famed magician Harry Houdini. Steeped in vibrant history, this wondrous setting has been the site of the polo ball on many occasions.   

ABOUT NEWPORT POLO

Newport Polo is the home of America’s first polo club, offering exhibition polo and club member services and instruction for outdoor & arena polo. Est. in 1876; founding member of the United States Polo Association and host of the Newport International Polo Series.  Now in its 32nd season, acting as a global ambassador to the sport of polo, teams from 35 countries have taken to the field for the Newport International Polo Series, including challengers from England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, India, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Barbados, Canada, Hungary, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Kenya, Brazil, China, Italy, Mexico, Sweden, Singapore,  Monaco, Morocco, Peru, Poland and Switzerland, Colombia, Ukraine and welcoming Pakistan making its 2024 debut.