When the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut teamed up with auto race venue Lime Rock Park, the goal was to raise $100,000 to make 10 or more wishes come true for children.
But the relationship turned into even more for Make-A-Wish/Connecticut, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary of granting wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Lime Rock also has a relationship with Network Imaging, which not only agree to pitch on the fundraising but went gone above and beyond, says Michael Dominick, communications manager with Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut Inc.
“Network Imaging has agreed to provide the Make-A-Wish CT Chapter with a state-of-the-art document processing center for five years at no cost to the chapter,” Dominick says. “This, alone, is a $60,000 value (versus actual annual expenses) but it is not all that Network Imaging has committed to. In addition, they’re covering the final seven months of payments on the current copier lease and is making a monthly donation of $1,000 to Make-A-Wish/CT for the 60 month term of the agreement. That’s valued at more than $120,000 over the next five years.”
Network Imaging is just one of the Lime Rock Park sponsors, partners and clients who have pledged to help the track reach its goal, including Town Fair Tire, Ferrari Club of New England, Motorsport Simulation Consultants and the Atlantic Region of the Rolls-Royce Owners Club.
Appropriately, Lime Rock and Make-A-Wish of Connecticut first “met” at a Lime Rock charity event held in July at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, which works closely with Make-A-Wish.
During Lime Rock’s five major spectator events, the track will donate a percentage of its revenues to the foundation while Make-A-Wish volunteers will sell branded merchandise, souvenir programs and “hot lap” raffle tickets. Lime Rock will also assist Make-A-Wish in organizing fundraising efforts directed at teams, drivers, vendors and driving clubs.
Lime Rock Park President Skip Barber said, “A race track, especially one like Lime Rock, is uniquely positioned to help Make-A-Wish continue to succeed. Not only are there kids with racing dreams, but who else has relationships with so many different parts of our industry… This is a good, good thing.”
Lime Rock is joining forces with Network Imaging to bring the 1978 Formula One championship winning race car driven by Mario Andretti to the floor of the Connecticut Business Expo in Hartford June 9. It’s called the John Player Special Lotus 79. This race car is valued at over $1 million and is still raced today by its owner Duncan Dayton who lives in Danbury.
Grant aids adult learners
A grant of $25,000 in scholarship aid has been awarded by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving to support the St. Joseph College Weekend Program for Adult Learners.
The scholarships will be awarded in the 2011 — 2012 academic year to Weekend Program students who previously attended a Connecticut community college. The awards will be administered by the Saint Joseph College Student Financial Services Office.
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FM donates laptops
FM Facility Maintenance has donated 20-laptop computers to the Wilson-Gray YMCA Family and Youth Center. The Wilson-Gray YMCA, a branch of the Greater Hartford YMCA, will use the computers in a variety of ways including in their education room to help kids study and to assist teens and adults in their job searches.
Hartford-based FM provides facility maintenance services for some of the nations’ top brands, including Outback Steakhouse, 7-Eleven and Dollar General.
