Another successful Drive Toward a Cure fundraiser for Parkinson’s comes to a close

Since 2016, the nonprofit Drive Toward a Cure has raised more than $1 million to support research and patient care for those suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. As the summer driving season comes to a close, the organization has concluded its fourth annual 75 Days of Summer nationwide fundraising program, which ran from Father’s Day to Labor Day. The program encourages like-minded driving enthusiasts to join the fight against the neurodegenerative disease that affects nearly one million Americans and 10 million people worldwide.

The 75 Days of Summer program evolved during the early days of the global pandemic, as Drive Toward a Cure searched for creative fundraising ideas unbound by lockdowns or social distancing. Hagerty got on board as a sponsor and has remained committed for each successive summer. To date, the program alone has raised nearly $150,000.

Entrants in the 75 Days of Summer compete to drive the most miles and raise the most funds to earn prizes. There are also weekly random drawings that further build momentum and incentivize participation. Grand prizes are awarded to those entrants with the highest combination of dollars raised and miles driven. This year, 20 Formula SAE university teams joined the challenge, and four students were among the Grand Prize winners.

Grand prizes awarded to entrants with the highest combination of dollars raised and miles driven were provided by Radford Racing School, Michelin Tires, Katzkin Leather Interiors, NCM Motorsports Park, XtremeXperience and Grand Prix Originals USA.

“We created an ongoing interactive experience that has become an easy way individuals, clubs, groups, and organizations can partake and feel like they’re supporting a worthy cause,” says Drive Toward a Cure founder Deb Pollack. “We’ve been fortunate to creatively engage so many of our car family members in supporting our efforts nationwide.”

This year’s Grand Prize winners included Caleb Arena, Chassis Lead for Georgia Tech Motorsports, part of the Formula SAE program. He drove 11,533 miles over the summer and won a One-Day Performance Driving Course at Radford Racing School in Phoenix. Second place was Clinton Quan, of Encino, California, who topped his own documented mileage from last year, clocking in at 9095 miles and raising an additional $500 to earn a set of Michelin Tires. And Vivian Chen, a member of Princeton University’s Formula SAE team who spent the summer in Lansing, Michigan, as an electrical engineering intern on the manufacturing team for General Motors, claimed third place by driving more than 6000 miles. She’ll receive a Katzkin Leather Interior transformation. In all, more than $15,000 worth of giveaways were awarded through the program, which is set to return in 2024. Watch this space for details.