September 2, 2004 – East Hampton, New York – JustWorld International Junior Rider Representatives will be hosting a reception on from 9 to 11 p.m. on Thursday, September 2, at the Resort Lounge in East Hampton, NY.

Three Just World Junior Rider Representatives - Nathalie Johnson, Josephine Nash and Jessica Speiser, have organized the event in order to encourage other junior and young riders to get involved with JustWorld International, a not-for-profit, humanitarian organization whose mission is to prepare and empower youth to become visionary leaders and work for social justice.

Johnson of Greenwich, CT, and Speiser of Armonk, NY, will share their first-hand experiences with JustWorld International in order to encourage other young people to get involved in the world around them, and work towards making a difference. The two equestrian competitors recently visited a JustWorld International project site in Honduras in June, and will be showing a video as well as sharing photographs that chronicle their trip.

“We wanted to introduce JustWorld and the whole ‘Jump for a Just World’ concept to the riders who are interested in learning more about it, and inform them so that they can get involved,” noted Speiser, 17.

Along with Nash of New York, NY, Johnson and Speiser have donated all of their horse show prize money winnings to JustWorld International.

“When you go to visit a project site and see first-hand the huge impact your small donation has made, it is a very exciting feeling that you want to share with others,” added Johnson.

The three young women are currently competing at the Hampton Classic horse show held in Bridgehampton, NY, from August 29 to September 5, and have invited every other junior rider competing at the show, as well as their parents and trainers, to attend Thursday’s reception.

Jessica Newman, Executive Director of JustWorld International, will introduce the JustWorld International initiative, sharing her reasons for creating the not-for-profit organization and providing background information. A former Grand Prix competitor, Newman, 28, gave up her own riding career in order to concentrate her efforts on forming JustWorld International after working with street children in Honduras.

Just World Rider Representatives Candice King and Ray Texel, both well-known Grand Prix competitors, will also be on hand. They are two of a handful of top international riders representing JustWorld International and donating a portion of their winnings to the organization. Other representatives include current World Champion team member Eric Navet of France, Irish Olympian Kevin Babington, 2003 Canadian Show Jumping Champion Eric Lamaze, and Angela Lawrence, also of Canada. ‘Jump for a Just World’ was officially launched in Europe this summer when Advisory Board member, French Olympian Herve Godignon, held a horse show for the benefit of JustWorld International in July.

JustWorld International offers fellowship programs for students from around the globe to learn leadership skills, the tools that they can use to make a positive difference in the world. With several project sites already located in such underprivileged nations as Honduras, Cambodia, Senegal and Tanzania, students have the opportunity to work for change in a wide variety of environments on behalf of JustWorld International. For further information on JustWorld International, please visit www.justworldinternational.org.