Industry organizations hold creative events to raise the $200,000-plus still needed
Members of the collision repair industry are hitting softballs, dodging sharks while swimming from San Francisco to Alcatraz and riding motorcycles across the country to help Camp Mak-A-Dream achieve its $500,000 fund-raising goal. One repairer and his family even visited the camp on vacation to find a way to help.
Camp Mak-A-Dream, the Gold Creek, Mont., camp for kids and young adults battling cancer, must raise $500,000 by the end of December to take advantage of a matching grant by the MJ. Murdoch Charitable Trust. The camp needs $1.3 million to build a new medical facility on its premises.The facility will be named in the collision repair industry's honor for its commitment to raising the money. With just two months left, Dan Risley, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), says, "As the deadline for this project rapidly approaches, the worst decision you can make is not making a decision at all. If you are thinking about helping, stop thinking and just do it. This project requires the help of the industry, and it's time we all rose to the occasion."
And that's exactly what the industry is doing.
Dodging Sharks
Farzam Afshar, a former collision repair shop owner who is now an independent industry consultant, on Aug. 3 swam to Alcatraz. "I did it. No shark bites or near drownings on my part, but there were definitely moments when I contemplated whether entering this event was a good idea," Afshar says in an industry-wide letter. "Thanks to your support, I did not entertain these thoughts for long. The currents were strong, causing the sensation of 'swimming in place' at times."
But even the cold water didn't discourage him flom reaching his goal. "I was inspired knowing that you were in partnership with me in an even bigger struggle...helping kids who are fighting for their lives against cancer."
Afshar says he is often "moved by the abundance of good fortune" in his life, which made the challenge of this swim mean even more."I realize how fragile life is and that any one of us could be taken away from this beautiful earth at any given time," he says. "The young people who go to Camp Mak-A-Dream and their families never thought they would be touched by cancer,just as many of us have probably believed." But, Afshar says he believes that joy and friendship are often a catalyst for healing, and Camp Mak-A-Dream provides this opportunity.
Understanding the Survival Challenge
It's this same cause that prompted Mike Molter, president of Twin City Collision Repair Inc. in Lafayette, Ind., and his family to visit the camp during their vacation. After reading about Camp Mak-a-Dream in ABRN, Molter immediately wanted to get involved.
This hit closely wanted to home for Molter. His wife is a cancer survivor, so he has experienced how trying the disease can be as well as the joy of his wife's healing. So Molter, his wife and two sons took a side trip up to the camp from their vacation in Idaho.
"We were impressed," Molten says. "The facility was very nice...there appeared to be something for everyone. The camp [is] on a hillside overlooking the Gold Creek valley with a view of the mountains in the distance. [It's] a very nice place serving a very good cause."
Molten was so impressed with the camp that he ordered 30 camp T-shirts and Frisbees for his staff to use for fundraising. At press time, Molter also planned to purchase $2,000 worth of drawing tickets from SCRS, which is holding the drawing to raise money. Molter planned to advertise in local newspapers during September to sell the drawing tickets, with his goal to raise $5,000 through ticket sales and donations.
Hoping for a Fund-raising Home Run
The CAPSTAR Chicagoland Business Group and a group of Chicagoarea State Farm agents on Aug. 21 showed they are good sports when it comes to the collision repair industry's efforts to raise money for the camp.
Together they held two softball games at Thillen Baseball Stadium in Chicago: CARSTAR East vs. State Farm East and CARSTAR West vs. State Farm West.
The State Farm agents secured sponsors to support the individual players and company teams.
"Caring for our community is vitally important to everyone at CARSTAR," says Teresa Kostick, CARSTAR Chicagoland Business Group chairwoman, in a written statement about the event. "Besides local and regional efforts, we also strongly support programs on a national level..we are honored to volunteer our time to raise funds for the camp's new medical facility"
[Author Affiliation]
By Tina Grady
Senior Associate Editor
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