There are numerous ways one can support a good cause. You can raise funds by selling chocolates, or collect pledges and run for charity. And, if you’re a car enthusiast, you can even donate money to do laps around a racetrack with your own vehicle.
Track Day for Charity is gearing up for its second straight year at Mission Raceway on June 15, raising money for the BC and Yukon chapter of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Organizer Regina Chan says it’s an opportunity to not only give back but to also pick up some invaluable driving tips.
“I know there are lots of fundraising functions, where you sit there for four hours and you pay a couple of hundred dollars for your donation. This track day event, you will learn something you can use for the rest of your life,” says Chan, who is also the founder of Canada’s only Chinese-language automotive magazine, Autonerve.
“The Track Day last year was the very first Chinese community initiated fundraising program for this charity, ever. Asians generally don’t talk about issues like breast cancer, so this is a way we can help to raise awareness.”
For the $500 admission, participants will receive one-on-one instruction given a group of professional drivers from Richmond-based Morrisport Advanced Driving on proper racing technique in a closed course environment. No previous experience is required. And, since the event takes place on Father’s Day, dad and sons entering two vehicles save $100 off the regular price.
“I can’t count how many times I’ve been part of a track program, where I learned something new about driving,” she says, adding there are many people returning to build on some of the skills that can be applied to navigating everyday roads.
There will be more than just racing happening on site as well, such as food carts serving wasabi fries and other snacks, vendors selling all kinds of automotive accessories and hourly draws for prizes including a set of Pirelli performance tires. Spectators can attend and watch from the grandstands for free, and there are also $100 VIP tickets for sale that include a buffet lunch and a passenger seat view as an instructor whips you around the course in a Porsche 911 Carrera, Lexus IS F and other fast cars. Last year, Chan and her team raised $10,000 for the foundation.
Track Day for Charity runs from 7:45 a.m. until 4:15 on June 15 at Mission Raceway Park located at 32670 Dyke Road in Mission, B.C. For more information, visit www.trackdayforcharity.com.
