NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The Louisiana Hospitality Foundation and Budweiser present the 13th annual Horses, Hops & Cops fundraiser scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 8, from 5-8 p.m. The event will again be held at the N.O.P.D. horse stables located at 1021 Harrison Ave. in New Orleans City Park. The event is free for all ages.
Southern Eagle Sales and Service, the New Orleans-area Budweiser distributor, continues to partner with the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation to co-produce the event, which raises money for the N.O.P.D. Mounted Unit.
Entertainment
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and greet the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales while they are in town for carnival season, as well as enjoy self-guided tours of the horse stables. Guests will also enjoy a live equestrian soccer game at 5:30 p.m. featuring members of the N.O.P.D. Mounted Unit and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. This year’s live music will be provided by The Wiseguys and featured on the Budweiser stage. The event will also feature kids activities, handmade gifts from art vendors, food and beverages for sale plus the opportunity to have a professional photos taken with the Budweiser Clydesdale horses.
Raffle
A raffle is on sale now for a chance to win one of the following prizes: Two passes to parade with the Krewe of Argus on Mardi Gras Day and ride on the Budweiser Clydesdales Wagon (winner and guest must be 21 or older) ; a Night Out featuring a pair of tickets to a Saenger Theater show with limousine transportation from American Luxury Limousines. Drawing will be held at the conclusion of the event at 7:45 p.m. Winner need not be present. Purchase raffle tickets at www.horseshopsandcops.com.
VIP Experience
The event offers a limited quantity of VIP Experience tickets for sale for both adults and children. VIP Experience guests will enjoy a one-hour guided tour to go behind the scenes with a Budweiser Clydesdale handler, learn about their unique horses, the breed, their special training, state-of-the-art transportation and more. The VIP Experience also includes a tour of the N.O.P.D. stables, and a K9 police dog demonstration. Each guest will receive a VIP gift bag from event sponsors. Purchase VIP Experience tickets at www.horseshopsandcops.com.
Although it is free for everyone to attend the general admission event starting at 5:00pm, proceeds raised from sponsorships, concession sales, raffle tickets, VIP experience tickets, photo sales and other donations will support the N.O.P.D. Mounted Unit. The N.O.P.D. Mounted Unit is a vital resource in helping deter criminal activity in the City of New Orleans, especially its hospitality district.
“Funding from Horses, Hops & Cops is critical to the success of the NOPD’s Mounted Unit. Our stable of horses is aging and we need to bring in new, young horses to augment the Unit,” explains Superintendent Michelle Woodfork. “Not every horse can be an NOPD Mounted Unit horse! It can take a year of training and not every horse makes the cut.”
“The Mounted Unit is a huge crime-fighting asset to the NOPD and an integral part of our world-renowned crowd control efforts. We are so thankful to the many sponsors and citizens who have supported the Unit over the years.”
Visit www.HorsesHopsAndCops.com for more information and additional announcements.
Some of the local partners who are helping to make this event successful include Southern Eagle Sales and Service, Carbine Motors, Event Producers, Krewe of Endymion, PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans, Coca-Cola United, Pat Farrell, Nola Protection Group, Acme Oyster House, Panda Fine Meats, Oceana Grill, T.A. Dowd Brokerage, Fat Boy’s Pizza, Parlay’s, Oceana Grill, Manda Fine Meats, Instawork, Versatile Entertainment, Demo Diva and more!