Looking for Drive-A-Thon Sponsors

[JarekSanto]

I am raising money to help children with cancer and their families. Will you be my Drive-A-Thon sponsor and help me make a difference?

Turn2's 1st Annual Drive-A-Thon has been organized to help raise money for The Goodtimes Project. TGP’s mission is to provide Western Washington and Alaska families affected by childhood cancer a cost-free week of summer camp in order to affirms the joys of childhood, foster friendships between these children and families, instill confidence in these children while providing for their medical and social safety.

Helping is easy when you sponsor your favorite driver at Turn2's
October 19th, track day at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, WA. You can donate a small amount per lap or mile, or make a fixed amount donation. The average driver will complete 100-125 miles or 40-50 laps during this one day event. Even .25 cents to $1.00 per lap or mile is a meaningful amount because your total donation will be $20 to $125.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW

YOUR DONATION IS IMPORTANT AND WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE! The American Cancer Society has pulled all funding for programs like TGP and without the help of caring individuals, far fewer children will benefit from TGP. Plus, it doesn’t take much to make a difference. As little as $100 nearly pays for a full day of camp for one child.

Our goal is to raise $20,000 and cover camp expenses for 20 children.

TGP qualifies as a 501(c)3 and therefore contributions to TGP may be tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. Please consult with your tax advisor.

When you donate, be sure to list the name of the driver you are sponsoring in the comments section.

Thank you for your generosity!

[1MOREMOD]

this is a worthy cause and one i too support in the area. im not sure yet if i will be participating but am looking at getting corporate sponsor through my work.

[JarekSanto]

Thanks for the support! I should have mentioned, anyone can participate and help raise money. Just sign up for the Oct 19th, track day with Turn 2 and then start pointing people to the donation page listed in my original post.

There is something in it for you!
In addition to a fantastic day at the track and the warm and fuzzy feeling you’ll get from giving back to the community, you can earn free track days and other cool gear.

Raise $500 and you get a FREE Turn2 or Ridge t-shirt.
Raise $2,000 and save 50% on a future track day.
Raise $5,000 and you get a FREE future track day.
Raise $10,000 and you get TEN FREE track days.

$2k, $5k and $10k might seem like a lot but think of it this way…

$2k is only 40 donors at $50 each. One participating driver has nearly 2,000 Facebook and LinkedIn contacts which means he only needs 2% of his contacts to donate.

On average we have about 125 drivers at any given event. If 10 of you can raise $500-$2,000, we’ve raise an extra $5k to $20k!

It is going to be a great time at the track and we are going to help a lot of kids!

[1MOREMOD]

fyi santo you need 5 posts so people can pm you on here.

[JarekSanto]

I've already raised $1k! I sent a few emails to various contacts, posted on Facebook and the money is starting to come in. Feels good knowing that I am helping some kids that can really use the help. Plus I am on my way to a free track day! Hope you take a little time out of your busy schedule to get involved.

[1MOREMOD]

the day of the event do we just pay a donation as well straight to the charity?

[JarekSanto]

I think you register and pay Turn 2 like any other track day.

We are up to almost $1,500. We need more drivers participating. C'mon lazy arses!!! It is easy to get involved. You can do a lot of good by spending 15-20 minutes of your time doing something for someone else.

Get registered for the 19th and and ask your friends, family and co workers to sponsor you.

It is so SIMPLE. You don't have to collect any money... Just send a few emails and post on Facebook page the link to the Drive A Thon page.

It really is that simple.

[davesaddiction]

Have a great time, guys. Looks like a wonderful cause; wish I was up that way so I could join you on the track!

[JarekSanto]

Giant shout out to Chris and Derek at http://www.group2inc.com/

Fantastic techs/shop and they are contributing to a worthy cause!!!!

Group 2's contribution puts us over $2,000... We are 10 percent of the way to our goal with plenty of time.

Hope you get involved as well!

[JarekSanto]

I decided to get involved with The Goodtimes Project because my childhood friend, Scott Bear, died of Leukemia at the age of 10. We were not great friends but we played on the Kittitas Little League team together for a couple of years. Back then, there weren't any camps like Camp Goodtimes. The only time Scott could feel like a kid was on the baseball field. What I remember most about him is that despite losing all his hair and being so tired he could barely get out of the batter’s box before he was thrown out at first base, he NEVER gave up and he always had a smile on his face. The only time he ever expressed any disappointment or frustration was when he told me he felt like he was letting the team down.

Most recently, a former UOL employee/my friend's 9 year old was diagnosed with cancer and is currently under-going a year of chemotherapy. They've attended a camp similar to The Goodtimes Project and her mother says that it is the happiest her daughter has been and the only time she's been able to be a 9 year old little girl.

When I heard about the event I jumped at the chance to get involved. The more I learn about TGP and how these kids handle themselves while facing cancer is INSPIRING!

Just read the following letter from Carol "Flower" Bradley about what TGP meant and still means to her family. I must warn you, it will pull at your heart strings. Especially if you have children.

“Cancer Sucks as we all know. It has touched everyone in some way. You may not be the one who has had cancer but maybe you know someone who has had to deal with it. Or even someone who has died from it. For myself I know way too many people who have died from cancer. I have always expected that someday I would hear the words you have cancer. It does run in my family. But, never in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined my child having cancer. I didn’t even know that children got cancer until it hit my child.

Yes, Cancer Sucks! It really sucks if you are a child. Your life is just taking off but you have no idea what is happening to you. You may not feel good so you go to the doctor and they start poking you. You are told you have cancer. This makes your parents very sad. It makes other people act very strange around you. Then you are told you have to get treatments and those treatments make you feel even sicker. You lose your hair and you are just a child. Only old people are bald! Maybe you were a girl with long flowing hair or a boy with nice wavy hair. Now there is not one hair left on your head. People stare at you as they try to understand why you might be bald. Your classmates may treat you differently. Well, that is if you are allowed to go to school. Your blood counts may be low and you may need to stay home or even worse be hospitalized (again). You have a thing stuck in your chest to ease the pain of being poked regularly. The radiation makes you so weak and tired. You were an athlete or at least a kid full of energy. But now you can hardly handle a day. Naps become something you naturally take to like you were 2 again. People just don’t understand that you are suffering. You have lost your childhood maybe even your friends. You just can’t be yourself any more. Cancer has changed everything. But then you find a place.

There is this place in the world where everyone understands because they are just like you.

Even the adults have had cancer experiences. They understand your limits yet encourage you to participate and have fun. Your baldhead is not different just part of who you are. You may have even found a new friend who is bald too. Your feeding tube is not stared at or questioned. There may be another child with a feeding tube. The scare from your surgery is normal and may look just like others in the group. You may even compare scares with other kids here.

You feel loved and accepted. You have a spirit in you that is brought alive.

What is this place? It is Camp Goodtimes. It is a place where kids with cancer can go and feel normal for a week.

A place where cancer is put on the back burner and forgotten for a week. A child gains back their childhood for a week. It may only be a week but it is enough to carry this child through a year until the next week of camp. And if this child survives this bought of cancer then he or she may grow into an adult who has learned to give. This child may become a volunteer at camp to help those other children gain back a week of their childhood to carry them through a year that can be filled with disappointment and pain. Not just physical pain but emotional pain too.

This place also gives the parents hope. Hope that their child will grow with happiness in their heart. Hope that their child can be a child not a cancer patient waiting for results and suffering from the side effects of treatment. Even if for only a week. Parents also see the sibling of the patient come back from what could be some deep depression as they have had to watch their sister or brother go through so much and not understanding why. Well, no one really understands the why. The sibling gets a week of rest. Rest from protecting their brother or sister from any more pain. Protecting them from cruel people. They too get to be a child again if only for a week. It doesn’t sound like a week is very long but this week of camp builds new relationships. It has built a community, a family that works together for each other. They support one another and now this family is in danger.

The American Cancer Society supported Camp Goodtimes for 30 years. But the ACS has decided to put all of their focus on finding a cure so we won’t have to have cancer camps but regular summer camps. Without the ACS we (the Camp Goodtimes Family) need to work hard to bring in funds to keep this week of camp going. We actually have three weeks of camp. Two separate regular weeks of Camp for about 260 kids and one week of Kayak camp for older young adults.

My two children have benefitted greatly from camp Goodtimes. Kathryn called it the Happiest Place on Earth. Richard continues to volunteer and is a driving force for fundraising to make sure camp continues. My children learned to love with their whole hearts, to give to others and care for others. They learned to give back too. I could not imagine our lives without camp. This camp gave my children a wonderful childhood and allowed them to blossom into grateful and loving adults. So, I am asking for you to make a donation. It will be in honor of Kathryn Panda Bradley. Any amount will help. It is truly a special place that deserves to continue.

The kids deserve to have a childhood, if only for a week. Thank you so much!

Carol Flower Bradley”

I hope you can get involved… Donating is simple. Visit Turn2DriveAThon, input the amount you want to donate, your contact and credit card information and put my name in the comment box… then hit submit. It is that simple. All proceeds will then be distributed directly to TGP.

[1MOREMOD]

very nice work santo!!!

[JarekSanto]

Frank from Mod Bargains comes through with three $100 gift certificates that will be auctioned off at The Ridge Motorsports Park during the October 19, Drive-A-Thon benefiting The Goodtimes Project!

AWESOME!!!!

Since their inception in 2005, Mod Bargains has stood by it's purpose statement: To share their Expertise, Experience, and Enthusiasm to make the world a better place for automotive enthusiasts. They carry a variety of aftermarket products for BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Nissan, Camaro, Pontiac, Infiniti, Scion, Subaru, Hyundai, Mini and Porsche. Our product list is continually growing, and we take high strides to provide the aftermarket community with only the best parts.

In my experience, their service is unbeatable!

I love doing business with good companies and Mod Bargains fits the bill!

[JarekSanto]

We have raised over $7,000!!!!!

A big thank you to Pete Stoppani from Palatov Motosports. He donated $500!!!!

Another kid will get a break from dealing with his or her cancer.

Fantastic!!!

Check out Palatov's dedicated track cars at www.palatov.com