Motor dealers’ support is music to charities’ ears

For auto aficionados, few local events conjure up as much excitement as the Calgary International Auto and Truck Show. For the past 32 years, Calgary Motor Dealers Association (CMDA) members have been wowing gearheads and tire-kickers alike with this city’s largest selection of foreign, domestic and exotic cars under one roof.

And while the show is treated as an annual celebration of all things auto, it is also a chance for local dealers to give back to the community.

That’s where the Vehicles and Violins Gala comes in. The annual event, which provides guests with a sneak peak of the Auto Show, has been a staple of the festivities since 2000, raising money for local charities.

This past March, the CMDA and its partners raised $228,000 during the event, 100 per cent of which was presented to this year’s beneficiaries: Calgary Meals on Wheels and the ALS Society of Alberta.

Since Vehicles and Violins began, more than $2.2 million has been raised to support 19 different organizations, including the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Alzheimer Society of Calgary and Kid’s Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta.

“We try to support everything from large cancer foundations to some of the smaller charitable organizations,” says CMDA executive director Jim Gillespie, noting CMDA’s 79 members also take part in a number of other charitable events such as the annual Mayor’s Annual Christmas Food Drive and Raise a Reader.

As the Auto Show continues to grow, so does the Vehicles and Violins Gala. This year, the gala filled all five halls of the BMO Centre. Attendees enjoyed live music from members of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as well as drinks and food from the seven cocktail bars and 10 international food stations as they perused the vehicles.

Support for the charities comes from ticket sales for the event, donors and live and silent auctions featuring items donated by groups from across the city. This year, donated items included trips to Mexico, a custom-made children’s Ferrari bedroom suite, box seats for a Neil Young concert, a jukebox filled with 45s, an exclusive package for the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede and everything from golf trips to high-end jewelry and apparel.

With another successful year under its belt, the CMDAis already in the process of finalizing recipients for next year’s event, March 13 to 17. The recipient application process for 2013 has already closed.

Gillespie expects big things for both the 33rd annual Auto Show and Vehicles and Violins coming off of what was the most successful year to date.

“This year, our attendance broke 80,000 for the first time on record,” he says. “Manufacturers are putting their best foot forward.”

For more information about how to get involved in Vehicles and Violins, call 403-974-0707, or visit www.autoshowcalgary.com

Front row; from the left: Tara Pentney, vice-chair, ALS Alberta; Karen Caughey, executive director, ALS Alberta; Janice Curtis, executive director, Meals on Wheels; Georgina Leschinski, event co-ordinator, Meals on Wheels. Back row from left: Rob Maleschuk, vice-president of advertising sales, Calgary Herald; Jim Gillespie, executive director, Calgary Motor Dealers Association, Guy Huntingford, publisher, Calgary Herald, Darrell Ittermann, advertising sales manager, Calgary Herald; Darin Schotanus, vice-president, Calgary Motor Dealers Association; Bentley Maitland, chair, 2012 Vehicles and Violins Gala.