OAK BROOK POLO HELPS RAISE NEARLY $25K AT "TEAM UP FOR TONY" BENEFIT POLO TOURNAMENT

It was a great day for polo as approximately 400 guests showed up at Prince of Wales Field on Sunday, September 17^th for the “Team Up for Tony,” benefit polo tournament hosted by Oak Brook Polo Club.  Nearly $25k was raised in support of Tony Sekera’s recovery. On Friday, June 2^nd, Sekera was badly injured during a solo stick and ball practice near Aiken, South Carolina.  His favorite polo pony took a bad stumble resulting in his somersaulting over the animal’s head fracturing his C4 and C5 vertebrae with devastating spinal cord damage.  He was airlifted to Augusta University Medical Center for an emergency surgery to realign vertebrae and decompress his spinal cord. Sekera stayed in the Shock Trauma Unit for two weeks until he was stabilized enough to be flown to Chicago's world class Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly RIC).  Due to significant immobility below his shoulders, Sekera will have to rely on 24/7 nursing care and insurmountable challenges.  "Tony has been an integral part of our Chicago Polo Community for almost 30 years - a distinctive accomplishment few can claim,” explains Jim Drury, patron of Oak Brook Polo Club. His upbeat personality, and joy for the game, were evident every time he took the field. This past Sunday provided a wonderful occasion for his polo colleagues, and many friends, to convey their deep affection and support for Tony, and his wife Cindy, as they travel a courageous journey to recovery."