After encountering unforeseen challenges related to the event, Ferrari Owners Group (FOG) and the Ferrari Owners Charitable Foundation (FOCF) have decided to cancel the upcoming Golden Gate Ferrari Festival, originally scheduled for Saturday, September 10th, organized to benefit Make-A-Wish® Greater Bay Area. As many as 400 Ferrari vehicles were to be slated for display during the event, and following a recent question over the structural integrity of the venue specifically in regard to the Festival’s weight bearing load, it was determined a final resolution could not be reached without exploration by a structural engineering firm to ensure the overall safety of the event, and timing became an issue.
According to Joe Keon, FOCF founder, the difficult decision to cancel the Festival was reached when the possible delays and projected costs to mitigate any findings remained unclear with less than 90 days before the event. “We deeply regret being unable to move forward to make our vision of Ferraris on the Plaza a reality at this time,” said Keon. “We are committed to respecting the time and energy of our production team and that of the Make-A-Wish organization, the quality of the Ferrari brand, our ability to successfully fund the important work of Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area, and above all the safety, confidence and enjoyment of our participants, spectators and volunteers.”
In an effort to still raise a sizeable donation for the Make-A-Wish chapter, FOG and FOCF will hold its originally planned Gala and live auction, on Wednesday, September 14th at The City Club of San Francisco, along with a two-day, 60-Ferrari car rally, from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe. The FOG Rally has been held annually since 2011, traversing the State of California, and through the years has visited Carmel, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Lake Tahoe – raising more than $750,000 for San Francisco Bay Area charities since its inception.
Inspired by the mission of helping to make the wishes of children with life-threatening diseases become realities, FOG and FOCF have supported Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area since 2014, and look forward to harnessing the power of the Ferrari brand to further the cause. The FOG Gala will engage more than 200 guests, and will include a three-course dinner, live auction, paddle raise and live entertainment – as well as the opportunity to meet famed Formula One driver and Indy 500 champion, Alexander Rossi. To purchase tickets, please view: http://fogrally.com/
The 2016 FOG Rally, presented by Ferrari Silicon Valley, will be held September 16-18, traveling across the state’s most iconic roads and landmarks between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, bringing together more than 100 participants and 60 Ferrari vehicles, ranging from vintage to modern day exotic. For more information, please visit http://fogrally.com/
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