SEMA to Honor Industry Pioneers at 2009 Installation Banquet & Gala

The 2009 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees will be announced at the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, held on Saturday, August 1, at the Pasadena Convention Center.

The inductees will be honored for their dedication, service and devotion to their businesses and the specialty-equipment industry. The event will also include charitable fundraising activities in conjunction with the traditional banquet.

The gala will be preceded by the SEMA Pinewood Drag Race, presented by eBay Motors, which will be held from 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. The drag races will benefit children’s charities Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. Childhelp is an organization that assists abused and neglected children, and Victory Junction Gang Camp provides life-changing camping experiences to disabled and chronically ill children.

Approximately $40,000 was raised last year for the two charities. Stock cars were built by children at their camps and then sponsored by participants through their donations to the charities. Each of the 156 cars built were sponsored.

“Last year, we were able to donate a good deal of money to help these kids, as well as go out and build cars with some of the children with Childhelp,” said Gregory Parker, 2009 SEMA Pinewood Drag Race committee chair. “We also gave them a track to keep on-site so they could run their cars year-round.”

This year, about 250 cars will be built at both the Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp facilities. Participants that sponsor a child’s car will be the team owner and will race it under the child’s name.

Participants can also enter their own derby car. The drag race will feature three classes: Stock, Modified and Unlimited.

To enter the race, visit www.sema.org/derby.

For questions about the Pinewood Drag Race and the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, contact Lisa Moreno at 909/396-0289, ext. 105 or e-mail lisam@sema.org.

In addition to being introduced at the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, the 2009 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees will be formally honored at the annual SEMA Industry Awards Banquet during the 2009 SEMA Show.

For more information on the SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.