Tenneco Automotive GP of Detorit to raise money from charity auction
15 June 2000
NEARLY $1 MILLION WILL BE RAISED FROM CHARITY ACTIVITY SURROUNDING THE TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE GRAND PRIX OF DETROIT DETROIT (June 14, 2000) -- Racing is not the only focus of the 19th Annual Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit. Numerous charity activities will coincide with the race weekend. This year's charity events include the PPG Neon Charity Challenge, Caring Athletes Team for Children's & Henry Ford Hospitals (CATCH), the Pulse of the Prix, the Grand Prix Ball, the Grand Prix Sprix, Gleaners Community Food Bank, and the "Kids On Track" program. The PPG Neon Charity Challenge allows local media, along with civic and community personalities, the opportunity to collect sponsorship in order for the chance to race. All proceeds will go towards the Police Athletic League (PAL) to support inner city children. In 1999, nearly $260,000 was raised for PAL. CATCH is a non-profit charity organization with the goal of raising money in order to provide needy pediatric patients with assistance, which are not otherwise available. Last year CATCH raised $15,000 through the auction of a Cabana Suite, donated by Ford and IMG, on WJR-AM. The Pulse of the Prix is the annual celebrity waiter dinner that will be held on Wednesday, June 14, at the Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle. Last year, $65,000 was donated to the American Heart Association from the event. The Grand Prix Ball has been held for 17 years and takes place on Thursday, June 15, at the Marriott Hotel, Renaissance Ballroom. This event attracts over 900 guests, including CART drivers, team owners, and key executives from the "Big Three" automotive industry. Over a half million dollars will be raised for the Music Hall of Performing Arts. For the Gleaners Community Food Bank, Gleaners teams up with Executive Caterers and other vendors in order to collect aluminum cans as well as food that is not sold or cooked. The donations are then distributed to local soup kitchens and Salvation Armies. Last year, 5,000 pounds of food and over 9,000 aluminum cans were collected. The Grand Prix Sprix will take place Sunday, June 18. This event includes a buffet brunch at the Roostertail, transportation to the Detroit Yacht Club, tickets to the race and a post-race buffet. Tickets are $200 per person with proceeds going towards the Holley Ear Institute, serving the deaf and impaired. Last year $35,000 was raised. The "Kids On Track" program provides underprivileged children a fun-filled day with premium seating and lunch on Friday at Ford Free Prix Day. These children will have the opportunity to interact with drivers and key race team personnel. Firestone, Visteon, and Johnson Controls are this year's corporate partners with the program. In order to make these charitable events a success, IMG Motorsports relies on the help of the Detroit Grand Prix Association (DGPA). "The DGPA wants to be part of something special that helps the community, and through our volunteers, we are able to achieve this by providing a supportive role to the many charitable events. For myself and all of our volunteers, it's seeing the happy faces of the kids and others who benefit from the events that can exceed the excitement of the actual racing," said DGPA President Jeff Goldman. The Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit will be held June 16-18 at The Raceway on Belle Isle. To order tickets, call 1-800-498-RACE or 313-870-7223 or visit any TicketMaster location. Anyone interested in being a part of the race as a volunteer should contact the Detroit Grand Prix Association at 313-872-3472. For further event and ticket information, visit www.imgmotorsports.com. -30-