BARRETT-JACKSON HELPS RAISE OVER $1 MILLION FOR CHARITY DURING 2008 PALM BEACH COLLECTOR CAR EVENT
Scottsdale, Ariz., – April 30, 2008 - The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company recently announced that it helped raise $1.1 million for various local and national charities during the 6th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event in West Palm Beach, Fla., on March 26-30, 2008. Donations at the automotive lifestyle event were gathered through the sale of 18 collector vehicles, crowd donations and fundraisers during the Opening Night Gala. Barrett-Jackson, which routinely waives buyer and seller fees on charity vehicles, has helped raise over $6.1 million for charity during the 2008 auction season.
“Over 40 years ago, my father Russ Jackson and his partner Tom Barrett presented their first automotive event with one goal in mind – to raise money for the Scottsdale Library,” said Craig Jackson, Chairman/CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Today, I’m proud that our team has succeeded in continuing the Barrett-Jackson legacy of helping others. We experienced success again this year by exceeding the $1 million mark in charitable donations for the first time in the six-year history of the Palm Beach event. In Scottsdale, we helped raise an amazing $5 million, bringing the total to over $6.1 million for this year as we gear up for our inaugural Las Vegas auction.”
With the help of Ford Motor Company, the abundant crop of charity cars sold in Palm Beach was led by the KITT Ford Shelby Mustangs from NBC’s “Knight Rider,” which sold as a pair for $300,000 to benefit Ford’s Salute to Education program (www.stescholarships.org). Salute to Education, which awards college scholarships to high school seniors in South Florida, received an additional $264,000 from sales of four other cars, including $135,000 for a 2008 Ford Mustang Roush P-51A fastback #151.
“Ford stepped up to the plate once again and brought some unbelievable cars to auction in Palm Beach,” said Steve Davis, President of Barrett-Jackson. “Last year, Ford joined Carroll Shelby on stage to unveil and sell the first Shelby GT-H convertible. And they delivered again this year with the KITT cars, a stunning one-off ROUSH P-51 Mustang and several other exceptional, one-of-a-kind vehicles.”
Barrett-Jackson, together with The Armed Forces Foundation (www.armedforcesfoundation.org) and Super Chevy magazine, fetched an impressive price of $130,000 for a 1957 Chevy Bel Air custom convertible dubbed “Project American Heroes”; an additional $1,000 was donated by those in attendance. All proceeds benefited The Armed Forces Foundation, which provides support to the families of fallen or disabled soldiers.
The Darrell Gwynn Foundation (www.darrellgwynnfoundation.org), a longtime charity partner of Barrett-Jackson, was the beneficiary of over $225,000 including $137,000 received from the sale of the 2008 Eliminator Daytona boat, and an additional $66,000 from a commemorative poster autographed by all the celebrities at the Scottsdale 2008 event and crowd donations. Founded to help provide for and ultimately cure spinal cord injuries and other debilitating illnesses, Darrell Gwynn Foundation also benefited from fundraisers held during Barrett-Jackson’s annual Opening Night Gala.
“The support of Barrett-Jackson as one of its official charities means the world to our foundation,” said Darrell Gwynn, President of Darrell Gwynn Foundation. “They are a perfect partner in allowing us to use their unique platform to raise awareness about paralysis and to provide aid and support.”
Funds raised during the gala were also donated to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (www.missingkids.com), an organization that 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.
Eight cars from HBO’s “The Sopranos” were sold in Palm Beach for $83,800, including Tony Soprano’s white 2003 Cadillac Escalade ESV that brought $45,000. Net proceeds from “The Sopranos” cars were donated to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (www.childrenshospitalla.org).
Additional charity cars in Palm Beach included a 2008 Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson custom pickup that sold for $50,000 to benefit America’s 9/11 Ride Foundation and a 2008 Saturn Sky Redline convertible that brought $31,000 for the Child Rescue Network.
The exceptional charity total in Palm Beach comes just two months after Barrett-Jackson helped raise $5 million during the 37th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event in Scottsdale, Ariz. American automakers Ford, GM and Chrysler led the way by auctioning their latest performance vehicles to gather nearly $2 million for respective charities.
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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