Fantastic Fundraiser Supporting SickKids
Charity events to raise money and awareness for worthy causes are pretty common. Silent auctions and bake sales are great, but this past Sunday May 26th, the automotive community stepped up with a unique event focused on those who like to go fast. The appropriately named Gearheads Giving Back fundraiser was organized by F1200 driver Daniel Demaras in support of SickKids Hospital.
The Canadian Sport Compact Series (CSCS) hosted a 'drift' racing event at the Mosport DDT on Sunday May 26 2024, and they invited Demaras to display his No. 12 Can-Jam Motorsports VMS F1200 race car. Thousands of spectators checked out the open-wheel car, and fans were welcome to squeeze themselves into the narrow cockpit for a snapshot.
For those interested in driving the Formula car, Daniel was raffling off a ‘thrill ride’ in the car. For $20 a ticket, all donors were entered into a promotional draw, with the Grand Prize winner getting to drive the No. 12 car at TMP in October, plus take home two tickets to the next F1200 race at the Vintage Grand Prix in June.
The interesting thing about the fundraiser was how many people shared their personal experiences with SickKids Hospital. Complete strangers opened their wallets and their hearts to share stories of the 'little miracles' that the doctors and nurses at SickKids performed. It was quite amazing to see how many lives SickKids Hospital has touched.
When all the smoke had cleared and the drifting was wrapped up, Demaras was invited onto the CSCS stage to thank the crowd for their generosity. Daniel rolled the brass drum, reached in, and randomly selected a ticket. The Grand Prize winner was drag racer Troy Leggett from SNAP FAB custom fabrication services, a vendor at the event. When making his donation, Troy even joked that his race car needed so much repair this summer, his only chance of getting out on track was the Gearheads Giving Back draw. From his lips to the racing gods’ ears!
With support from Can-Jam Motorsports and the CSCS series, Demaras collected much money for SickKids; that’s the ‘car community’ at it’s finest. Daniel plans on continuing his fundraiser at the Vintage Grand Prix on June 14-16, so make sure to visit the Vallis Motor Sport trailer in the Formula 1200 paddock to make a donation.
Let's see if CASC racers are more generous than CSCS drifters!
Click HERE to donate!
