Greater Cleveland Auto Dealers to Host 2000 Auto Show Charity Preview Event

23 February 2000
Greater Cleveland Auto Dealers to Host 2000 Auto Show Charity Preview Event
            Black-tie event to raise money for local organizations

    CLEVELAND, Feb. 23 -- The Greater Cleveland Auto Dealers will
host a charity fund-raiser Friday, February 25, to benefit two local
organizations on the eve of the 73rd annual Greater Cleveland International
Auto Show.
    The nine-day exposition opens to the public Saturday, February 26th and
runs through March 5, 2000. The show will be held at the International
Exposition (I-X) Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
    The American Cancer Society (ACS), specifically raising awareness of
breast cancer; and the Western Reserve Historical Society's new Crawford
Museum of Transportation and Industry (CMTI) will be the beneficiaries of the
$125 per person ticket price. Funds will be split equally between the two
organizations.
    "We expect to raise about $100,000 in proceeds for the organizations,"
said Gary S. Adams, president of the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers'
Association (GCADA). "It's just another way our dealers are making a
difference right here at home in the communities of Northeast Ohio."
    The event will be co-chaired by 2000 Auto Show Chairman Nick Abraham of
Abraham Buick, Chrysler-Plymouth-Jeep; WRHS Trustee Dean Mueller of Mueller
Tire and chairman of the Crawford Standing Committee; and honorary chairperson
Peggy Fleming, a 1968 Olympic Gold medallist, breast cancer survivor and ACS
national spokesperson.
    In 1968, Fleming won the Olympic Gold Medal in figure skating by
88.2 points over her closest competitor. It would be the only gold medal the
United States brought home from Grenoble, France, the site of the Winter
Games. About 30 years to date of her Olympic win, Fleming was diagnosed with
breast cancer in January 1998.
    Fleming, who lived briefly in Cleveland and won her first national title
here in 1964, is unable to attend the event because of obligations overseas
with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). She has provided a videotaped
greeting, which was filmed Wednesday, February 9, prior to the opening
ceremonies of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships held at Gund Arena. The
taped segment will be played for the guests to view during the charity event.
    During the night's scheduled events, friends of the Crawford Museum will
auction a 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II. The live auction, in addition to a
silent auction will be held to assist the foundation with construction costs
of the new Crawford Museum to be built near Burke Lakefront Airport. It is
scheduled to open in 2002.
    The money will be used to house its automobile and aviation collection, in
addition to railroad and watercraft artifacts. The new museum will feature
state-of-the art interactive activities. This $75 million project promises to
draw more than 400,000 visitors a year, inside sources say.
    ACS is the nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to
eliminating cancer as major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives
from cancer, and diminishing suffering from cancer. All proceeds form any ACS
benefit is used for research, education, advocacy and service.
    GCADA represents more than 200 franchised dealers in 12 counties
throughout Northeast Ohio. For more information call 440-746-1500 or go online
at http://www.cleveland.com/autoshow