DC and the EAF

[TheHorseProblem]

Did anyone else get this email today? What's going on?

Dear Contributor to the EAF in honor of Darren Chiacchia,

Please excuse the informality of this message, but it has come to our attention that a misconception may exist in regard to benefits being paid for Darren Chiacchia. As the Vice President and General Counsel for the Equestrian Aid Foundation (EAF), it has come to EAF's attention that many of you have been or will be contacted by Mr. Chiacchia or his associates claiming that he has received little to no money from the funds that were donated in his honor. I want to assure you that this is not the case.

As a result of your generous collective efforts, more than $300,000.00 was generated in Mr. Chiacchia's honor. Consistent with our mission, benefits have been provided to Mr. Chiacchia for his medical and living expenses while he recuperates from his unfortunate injury. To date, approximately $200,000.00 has been provided to Mr. Chiacchia or various service providers. With the exception of one chiropractic bill that is under review, each and every medical expense submitted to us has been paid in full. In addition, Mr. Chiacchia has received $10,000.00 per month for living expenses for the period April, 2008 through March, 2009.

In or around March, 2009 a request was made to increase Mr. Chiacchia's monthly benefit. As a result, a complete and thorough review was conducted of his expenses. It is worth noting that all our recipients receive a yearly review of expenses to reassess their level of need. After a comprehensive review the monthly benefit was decreased to $4,485.70 since in the opinion of the EAF and consistent with its mission, Mr. Chiacchia's essential needs have decreased. Furthermore, we are not responsible for business expenses nor expenses that are above and beyond those which are deemed essential. Our review has also indicated that many of the original expenses that were being paid are no longer required or not being used. Continued benefits are also contingent upon our receipt of medical documentation supporting his disability and /or work capability as well as documentation to support his expenses. Our goal all along has been to provide basic emergency assistance to Mr. Chiacchia during his time of need. We believe we have gone above and beyond to achieve this goal. Mr. Chiacchia via his business manager, who all along has been our primary contact, was informed in a letter dated April 30, 2009 of the recent changes to the EAF's support. To date, we have not received a response to our letter.

It is truly unfortunate that you may be brought into a situation that should not exist. We are greatly appreciative of your efforts and contributions to the EAF whether for Mr. Chiacchia or for the many others to whom we provide benefits. We hope that this communication has clarified any confusion regarding this matter. We are taking this matter seriously and hope that it is resolved as expeditiously as possible.

I invite you to contact me at 617-757-6514 or agray@bowditch.com with any additional questions or concerns.

Thank you for your time, consideration and understanding.

Alfred Gray
Vice President and General Counsel
Equestrian Aid Foundation

[CiegoStar]

That Darren sure is a peach, isn't he?

[mcm7780]

Interesting...

[LexInVA]

Hoooo boy....this is gonna be good for some laughs.

[JER]

Sad.

:: off to buy refreshments anyway ::

[LexInVA]

So, who wrote the EAF and tattled on Darren for getting too many Soy Milk Mocha Cappucino Lattes with extra foam?

[joharavhf]

Wow. I'm surprised he continues to get support from the organization at ALL....considering that he is out doing business as usual and all......

[MaryKay]

Yes, I received the same email and also wondered what was going on. Possible he has had some set back? Has he been competing lately? I went to his web site and there is no info on the calendar. Also, the young man, (forget his name) that went to work for him is no longer listed as a member of his staff.

[LexInVA]

Interesting observations. It's no secret that he lost a lot of friends and his significant other left him after he was injured. His business and competition record since then has been fairly inconsistent and such. Perhaps he's finally dealing with the psychological effects of his injuries?

[Regal Grace]

Originally Posted by MaryKay

Yes, I received the same email and also wondered what was going on. Possible he has had some set back? Has he been competing lately? I went to his web site and there is no info on the calendar. Also, the young man, (forget his name) that went to work for him is no longer listed as a member of his staff.

Son of (I think Ian Roberts road Napalm at Rolex). Waylon road Paleface at Rolex 2008.

[MaryKay]

Originally Posted by Regal Grace

Son of (I think Ian Roberts road Napalm at Rolex). Waylong road Paleface at Rolex 2008.

Yep thanks that is who it was Waylon Roberts. Whatever the reasons, he wasn't there long.

[purplnurpl]

Originally Posted by LexInVA

Perhaps he's finally dealing with the psychological effects of his injuries?

um...not likely. Just last month he competed 5 UL horses at The Fork. Three of them at the Advanced level.

He's super.

[NeverTime]

Total speculation, but ... Kinda sounded to me from that letter like maybe he figures that if people gave $300,000 "in (his) honor," then he's entitled to that entire amount, not just the $200,000 the foundation said he's already received.

[SmallHerd]

Yeah, got the same e-mail. Sounds to me like someone in his camp requested MORE than the $10K he was receiving each month from the EAF. An audit was conducted (SOP) and it was determined that instead of needing more $$ each month, he actually needed less. Seems someone was getting a bit greedy.

[SevenDogs]

I do think sometimes people are confused when they donate to a non-profit organization in a specific name or cause, that all of the money will go to that person or cause. Red Cross is a good example. If you donate after a natural disaster, your money may or may not reach victims of that emergency. In order to retain non-profit status, they can only distribute based upon proven need (you may remember the problems associated with the distribution of 9/11 funds). If they have more donations than they can use under their guidelines, your money may be used for another approved use and this can mean another disaster or, even administrative costs.

I am not saying that it is bad (quite the contrary in most situations), it is just important to understand how your donations may or may not be used.

[GoodyTwo]

$10K a month?!?!

[LexInVA]

Originally Posted by GoodyTwo

$10K a month?!?!

High-maintenance horses + High-maintenance rider = EXPENSIVE UPKEEP!

[GoodyTwo]

Yeah, I can see how $10K a month while he’s unable to work would be in order, but once he’s back working and riding… not so much. Apparently the EAF feels the same.

[EventMore]

If there is any truth at all to this letter, he HAS received the vast majority of $300K - 10K a month adds up to 100K pretty fast.

I can see an organization like the EAF wanting to be proactive in their communication, but this seems like too much specific info to be a legit thing?

[Jaegermonster]

Sounds like his Divaness and his sense of entitlement has struck again and been struck back.

$10,000 a month? Wow. I could live quite well on that.


A wise old friend once told me,
"If one person tells you you're being an ass, don't worry about it too much.
If everyone is telling you you're being an ass, you probably ought go buy a saddle"

think DC needs full harness