Manchester Children Set To Benefit From Unique Chevrolet Auction

MANCHESTER – Nov 12, 2013: Communities in Manchester are set to benefit after a special edition Manchester United Chevrolet Trax sold on eBay for over £14,000 last week.

The unique Manchester United themed Chevrolet Trax, signed by the 2012/13 Premier League winning side, raised £14,301 in the eBay charity auction.

All of the proceeds will be going to the Manchester United Foundation to support its Ability Counts football programme, which offers disabled people the opportunity to play or coach with Manchester United and has between 150 and 160 players aged from 8 to 40 years old.

The auction delivered £17,564.28 in total as other items, all donated by Chevrolet, the Official Automotive Partner to Manchester United, including a Wayne Rooney match-worn shirt from his hat-trick match against Hannover in 2012 and a signed shirt from Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic, worn during this year’s Community Shield against Wigan, were snapped up by Manchester United fans across the world.

Rebecca Lawman, Head of Marketing, Chevrolet UK, commented; “The Manchester United Themed Chevrolet Trax Auction has been a fantastic success. The Manchester United fans have really got behind the auction and the money raised will go towards a fantastic cause.

“Manchester United Foundation does a tremendous amount of work through its Ability Counts programme, offering disabled people the opportunity to train and play for Manchester United and we hope this donation will help to continue their great work.

“The passion and generosity of the Manchester United fans has been evident throughout the auction and we hope the lucky winners enjoy their lots.”

Former Manchester United players Gary Pallister, David May and Quinton Fortune all showed their support for the campaign by taking part in the Chevrolet Trax UK tour starting at Old Trafford and visiting Chevrolet retailers across the UK.

“We are delighted that Chevrolet has chosen to support the Foundation through this unique auction. The backing of organisations like Chevrolet is so important in helping us to continually develop our work in the community. This donation will allow us to improve our services for disabled people in the Greater Manchester area,” said John Shiels, chief executive, Manchester United Foundation.

The campaign was supported by a calendar of events and media appearances as well as an integrated social media activation.

The winning bidder was Sussex-based Chevrolet dealer Frosts of Shoreham. Toby Frost, Director, said: "We really, really wanted this car - it's something very special that celebrates Chevrolet's association with Manchester United in a unique way, and it's the perfect tool for us to draw attention to the new Trax in our dealership. Proud to support the Manchester United Foundation, we plan to register the car and use it for promotional purposes to raise awareness of our Chevrolet dealership at our local annual events and in the showroom. Football fans are of course more than welcome to visit the dealership to see the unique Trax and have their photo taken with it."

The Manchester United Foundation works in some of the most disadvantaged areas across Greater Manchester and uses the passion for Manchester United to educate, motivate and inspire young people.

The Foundation delivers football coaching, skills training, personal development and life changing experiences, to provide young people with opportunities to change their lives for the better.