North American International Auto Show's Sold-Out 2002 Charity Preview Raises $6.125 Million for 11 Local Children's Charities

DETROIT, Jan. 10 -- The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) today announced that NAIAS 2002 Charity Preview has officially sold out, making it once again one of the hottest tickets in town!

All 17,500 Charity Preview tickets, priced at $350 each, have been sold, raising $6.125 million for 11 local children's charities.

This year's Charity Preview happens on Friday evening, January 11, at Cobo Center. The annual black-tie fundraiser opens with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:15 p.m., featuring Michigan Governor John Engler and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. The doors to the Show are open from 6-9 p.m., when Charity Preview attendees will sip champagne, enjoy assorted hors d'oeuvres and get an early look at the Show's 700-plus vehicles.

Since the inception of the Charity Preview in 1976, the event has raised more than $32 million for children's charities -- more than half of that in the past three years alone.

The charities benefiting from the 2002 Charity Preview are: Barat Child and Family Services, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, Boys Hope/Girls Hope of Detroit, The Children's Center, Children's Homes of Judson Center, Children's Services of Northeast Guidance Center Assistance League, Detroit Auto Dealers Association Charitable Foundation Fund, Detroit Institute for Children, Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL), Easter Seal Society of Southeastern Michigan, Inc., and March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation.

Public Days for NAIAS 2002 are open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturday, January 12, through Sunday, January 20. On Monday, January 21, the Show is open from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. No admittance one hour in advance of closing each day.

For more information on the North American International Auto Show, check out http://www.naias.com .