By Lindsay Bianco
The SEMA Cares Committee was especially busy during SEMA Show week. Donations continued to pour in during council events, receptions and even from the Show floor.
To open the week, PSKB was presented with the Industry Cup Challenge trophy. Now in its third year, the Industry Cup Challenge features five divisions where sponsoring companies race child-built pinewood cars. Each division crowns a winning company, which then goes on to represent that division in an all-out industry race to No. 1. The industry challengers each have a limited number of entrants in the following divisions: warehouse distributors, manufacturers, media groups, rep agencies and service providers.
The champion can display the trophy for a year with its company name engraved among the winners. PSKB wasted no time in hoisting the trophy in the air and declaring they had every intention of defending their title in 2020. The trophy must be returned, in a Stanley Cup-style tradition, as it will be up for grabs again at the next Pinewood Drag Races, where the company will have a chance to defend its title. The donation cost is $1,000 per sponsoring company. During the last year, the Industry Cup Challenge raised $34,000.
Meanwhile on the SEMA Show floor, Hypertech had a special opportunity for some of its biggest customers to step into a cash cube, and try and grab a little extra cash to enjoy in Vegas. A majority of those customers decided not to gamble, and instead bet on SEMA Cares by offering up their prize to SEMA Care Chairman Melanie White. After stepping into the cash cube for her own turn, Vice President of Hypertech Lori Ramsey presented White with a $1,000 donation.
At the TORA reception, the off-road market was ready to race and council members opened their hearts and their wallets to sponsor vehicles for the annual friendly Pinewood competition. During the Pinewood race, there were certainly winners and losers and the SEMA Cares Committee enjoyed watching TORA trade paint for a good cause. More than $3,000 was collected during the reception. TORA also donated an additional $4,500 through their feature vehicle spot sales.
All donations will ultimately benefit SEMA Cares charities, including Austin Hatcher Foundation, Childhelp and Victory Junction. Childhelp assists abused and neglected children by providing counseling and programs in a safe and secure living environment. Victory Junction provides a camp experience for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses who otherwise would not be able to go. The Austin Hatcher Foundation’s mission is to erase the effects of pediatric cancer and optimize each child’s quality of life through essential specialized intervention beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout survivorship.
While the SEMA Show has officially ended, SEMA Cares accepts donations throughout the year. Simply visit SEMA.org/semacares and click the donation tab. Your generosity is great appreciated and please share the news and the donation link with your community.