BARRETT-JACKSON TO JUMPSTART COLLECTOR CAR EVENT WITH OPENING NIGHT GALA FOR CHARITY
Charity Support a Centerpiece of Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach Event
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., March 24, 2008 - South Florida’s hottest celebrities and prominent socialites will join the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company to kick off the 6th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event in Palm Beach at the Opening Night Gala on Wednesday from 7-10:30 p.m. Tickets to the annual charity gathering are $80 each, with all proceeds benefiting the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and The Darrell Gwynn Foundation.
The event marks the beginning of the East Coast’s premier automotive lifestyle event, where hundreds of the world’s top collector vehicles will be sold from Thursday through Sunday. For the sixth consecutive year, the gala and auction will take place at the spacious Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds, located at 9067 Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children helps prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation, find missing children and assist victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families and the professionals who serve them. Led by former drag racer Darrell Gwynn, The Darrell Gwynn Foundation was founded to help provide for and ultimately cure spinal cord injuries and other debilitating illnesses.
“The annual charity gala is our way of rolling out the red carpet for the residents of Palm Beach,” said Craig Jackson, Chairman/CEO of the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company. “Our guests, who will include celebrities and automotive legends, will enjoy great entertainment, a delectable menu and an electric atmosphere that only a Barrett-Jackson event can generate. The end result of this special night is the money raised for two extraordinary organizations.”
Catering for the charity gala will be provided by Legal Seafood, Macaroni Grill and other Palm Beach-area eateries. Entertainment will include live music from “Heat Wave,” tunes from DJ Marc Evans and an appearance by the XELLENT Vodka Heavenly Angels. A live and silent auction will also be held to benefit the designated charities.
The gala will join a long list of Barrett-Jackson charity initiatives during the Palm Beach auction, as numerous vehicles will be sold to benefit local and national charities. Notable charity vehicles include “Super KITT” and “Attack Mode KITT” from NBC’s “Knight Rider” (Salute to Education), eight vehicles from HBO’s “The Sopranos” (Childrens Hospital Los Angeles), a 1957 Chevrolet convertible custom (The Armed Forces Foundation), a 2008 Saturn Sky which paced the inaugural Fireball Run Rally (Child Rescue Network) and an Eliminator Daytona 500 commemorative boat (The Darrell Gwynn Foundation).
“Amidst the bright lights, beautiful cars and excitement at Barrett-Jackson, our team works diligently to support organizations that put others first,” added Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “And the collector car community, along with our generous sponsors, has really stepped up to make philanthropy a top priority at each event.”
Last year, Barrett-Jackson raised approximately $4.5 million for various charities at the Scottsdale and Palm Beach events combined.
About Barrett-Jackson
Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Barrett-Jackson specializes in providing products and services to classic and collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts around the world. The company produces the “World’s Greatest Collector Car Events™” in Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Fla. and Las Vegas. Visit www.barrett-jackson.com for more information.
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