As the sun rose over Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, anticipation filled the air. Peter Hanson and the Sanders Motorsport Team were back for our much-anticipated annual fan appreciation event. Despite the brisk temperatures, a remarkable crowd gathered, eager to witness the thrilling season’s culmination. Fans shared stories, exchanged hugs, and expressed admiration for the teams […]
Plans Underway for the 2016 Last Blast of the Summer
Festoons will once again be flying overhead, checkered flags will be flapping in the wind and race car engines will be revving up for the last blast of summer – the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Racing For Kids to the Hill. The long-anticipated event will again be held on the Wednesday before Labor Day – August 31, 2016 – on Kercheval Avenue in Grosse Pointe Farms.
“This is our 10th year and everyone is working hard to insure the event will be bigger and better than ever, “explains co-chair Tom Buhl. “Every year we have surpassed the year before in terms of attendance, participation and enthusiasm. Our community has really embraced this event and the support has been amazing.”
Racing For Kids is a Grosse Pointe Farms-based national charity, which uses the popularity of motorsports to generate awareness and funding for children’s healthcare institutions across the country. Founded at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in 1989, Racing For Kids has been bringing IndyCar drivers to the bedsides of hospitalized children for the past 26 years. The racers have visited more than 28,000 sick children in more than 575 hospital visits across the United States, as well as Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Australia. Additionally, nearly $6.5 million has been raised for the hospitals visited and for other worthy child healthcare institutions.
This year there will again be a daytime street fair celebration for the community, which is free and open to the public from 11:30 to 3 p.m. Included will be a sidewalk sale, games for the kids, inflatable toys, refreshments and activities for the whole family.
Kercheval Avenue will be closed from McMillan to Hall Place for the street fair.
The College for Creative Studies will again be represented by young artists displaying their talents. One artist will be demonstrating the computer design skills used in automobile design and production. Another artist will be directing the children in their own creative endeavors.
There will be a cocktail reception and live luxury auction at Northern Trust from 6 to 9 p.m. to raise funds for the Racing For Kids hospital visit program and several local children’s hospitals. The gathering will feature gourmet fare from the Dirty Dog Jazz Café, the Hill Seafood and Chop House, Jumps, Café Nini, Luxe Bar and Grill, and Fresh Farms Market. The Dirty Dog will provide music and the auction will feature many luxury items such as exciting getaways and one-of-a-kind adventure packages as well as a 2016 special edition Mustang from Crest Automotive Group.
Tickets to the evening reception are $100 for advance purchase or $125 at the door or if purchased after August 28. For more information or to make a reservation, call the Racing For Kids office at 313.882.3403.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Winner’s Circle
Crest Automotive Group
Meridian Health Plan of MI
Northern Trust
St. John Provindence
Grand Sponsors
Gallagher Kaiser
Lear Corporation
Legacy Wealth Management
Pole Position
Backer Landscaping
Beaumont Hospital
Blaser Design Group
Bodman LLC
Chevy Racing
Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation
Firestone Racing
Henry Ford Health System
Russell Development Company
Matilda R. Wilson Fund
Wolverine Bronze
Front Row
Sam and Alaine Bush
The Hill Association
Kart 2 Kart
MI Concourse
MOMO Automotive Accessories
Peggy and Peter Kross
Morgan Stanley
Pointe Capital Management
Robinson Capital
Valspar
Village Palm and Posh
Wayne County Community College District
Zim’s Vodka
Finish Line
American House
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel
Connell Building Company
Ferrari Club of America
Grosse Pointe Farms Department of Public Safety
Higbie Maxon Agney
Kristen Townsend
LaLonde Jewelers
Marxmoda
Mike’s on the Water
Pointe Alarm
Robert Loomis & Associates
Ralph C. Wilson Foundation
The Russell Company, LLC
Woods Financial, LLC
In Kind Sponsors
Allegra Marketing. Printing. Mail
Allemon’s Landscaping Center
Atwater Brewery
Dirty Dog Jazz Café
Grosse Pointe Florists
Kercheval Dance
Pratt and Miller Engineering
Sir Speedy Printing and Marketing Services
Yellow Door Imaging and Photography
Wahl Tents
Woods Wholesale Wine
Media Sponsor
Grosse Pointe News
Special Thanks
Buhl Sport Detroit
