Michael Satterfield
TGR Staff
When name brands like Shell, Piloti, Maserati, Acura, and Hagerty join forces for the second year in a row – as each is doing for non-profit Drive Toward a Cure and the organization’s multi-day ‘California Adventure’ charity rally May 3-6, 2018 – they are standing together to show that ‘driving has never meant more!’ Each is contributing once again to help raise awareness of Parkinson’s Disease and funds for research and patient care. Through their involvement with Drive Toward a Cure, they are helping to open channels throughout the nation.
“As we enter only our second year, we’re excited with the support and contributions these globally recognized brands provide to enhance our vision,” said Deb Pollack, founder of Drive Toward a Cure. “When we began our efforts in 2016, we were reaching out to local car enthusiasts to partake – but as we’ve grown our events throughout the nation, we’re finding a car aficionado audience that is willing to travel farther to attend our events – and that’s not just because of the engaging programs we’re providing, but also because so many are personally touched by someone they know who has Parkinson’s.”
The 2018 California Adventure, reminiscent of the organization’s inaugural event last Spring, is the third in a series of multi-day luxury driving programs Drive Toward a Cure has hosted to benefit Parkinson’s Disease. During 2017, the organization began to function as a 501(c)(3) organization, raising more than $50,000 through two rally programs – one in California and another in the Southeast. Both events included entrant vehicles ranging from vintage to luxury and exotics, traveling along some of the most scenic and famed routes within the country, including the Blue Ridge Parkway, exploring the Smoky Mountains, and tackling the ‘Tail of the Dragon.’
For 2018, the California Adventure will once again include two simultaneous starting points – a Northern California group beginning in the Monterey area and including a private tour of Canepa Motorsports, and a Southern California start with an intimate tour of the expanded vault at the Petersen Museum, along with a viewing of a private Beverly Hills car collection. Both groups will meet in the Santa Barbara wine region at the famed Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort in Santa Ynez for two more nights and a continued series of drives and events.
An additional opportunity and great resource for entrants this year come through Hagerty’s all-new DriveShare – the nation’s premiere enthusiast car rental community, bringing the “sharing economy” into the car lover’s garage. DriveShare has created an opportunity for registrants to experience coveted cars while partaking in the 600+ mile drive and will be providing 100 percent of the company’s service fees and profit from rentals engaged for the event directly to Drive Toward a Cure. A curated selection for the program can be found at http://www.drivetowardacure.org/driveshare/socal-collection-2018/. Any Drive Toward a Cure registrant above the age of 30 who is licensed in the United States can now participate in the “California Adventure” without having to ship their own vehicle or resort to an airport rental car thanks to DriveShare.
Additional sponsors, such as Shell and Piloti will be providing each registrant interactive opportunities to share in their brands – from apparel to fuel.
Pollack, who’s mantra for the organization is to blend cars and camaraderie, is expanding her organization’s efforts to include localized programs within nationally recognized driving clubs and driving schools to create more fundraising opportunities during the month of April – which is Parkinson’s Awareness Month.
