A helicopter will drop hundreds of numbered golf balls onto a green at Mid South Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina, on Veterans Day, November 11, as local nonprofit Prancing Horse hosts a fundraising event to support its therapeutic horsemanship programs.
The event, scheduled for 10:40 a.m., will give participants the chance to win cash prizes of up to $3,000 while raising money for children, adults and veterans who benefit from the organization’s equine-assisted programs.
Unlike a traditional golf tournament, participants will not need to play a round or demonstrate their putting skills. Instead, supporters can purchase numbered golf balls that will be released from a helicopter above a designated green at the Southern Pines course.
The ball that lands in the hole or finishes closest to the pin will earn its owner the $3,000 top prize. The second-closest ball will receive $1,500, with winners notified by email after the event. Participants do not need to be present to win.
Golf balls are available for $20 each, with discounted packages offering three balls for $50, seven for $100 or 20 for $250. Each purchase is assigned a corresponding numbered ball for the drop, giving supporters an opportunity to participate while contributing to the charity.
The fundraiser will benefit Prancing Horse Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship, a nonprofit based in Hoffman, North Carolina, that provides structured equine-assisted activities for individuals with physical, cognitive and emotional needs.
The organization operates from a 30-acre farm and offers mounted and unmounted programs led by trained professionals and volunteers. Its work focuses on developing confidence, communication, physical abilities and social connections through interaction with horses.
Prancing Horse also serves military veterans through its Freedom Reins program, which provides therapeutic horsemanship experiences designed to support participants dealing with challenges associated with military service. The program is part of the organization’s broader commitment to making equine-assisted activities accessible to people with different needs.
Holding the fundraiser on Veterans Day gives the event additional significance because veterans are among the people supported by the nonprofit’s services.
Cindy Strohm, president of the Prancing Horse Board of Directors, expressed enthusiasm about the event in the organization’s announcement, saying organizers expect a strong turnout from supporters hoping to see the helicopter drop.
The fundraiser will take place at Mid South Club, an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course in Southern Pines, a community closely associated with North Carolina’s Sandhills golf region.
For residents and golf enthusiasts, the event offers an unusual way to support a local organization without competing in a golf tournament. Rather than relying on conventional fundraising rounds, the helicopter drop uses the golf course itself as the setting for a prize-based community event.
Supporters can purchase numbered balls through the official golf ball drop registration page. Additional information about the nonprofit and its programs is available at Prancing Horse, or by calling 910-281-3223.
With $4,500 available across the two announced cash prizes, the November 11 event will combine a distinctive golf-themed fundraiser with support for therapeutic horsemanship programs serving the Sandhills community.