Autism Speaks

www.autismspeaks.org

Mission - At Autism Speaks, their goal is to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders.

They are dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder. They are committed to raising the funds necessary to support these goals.

Autism Speaks aims to bring the autism community together as one strong voice to urge the government and private sector to listen to their concerns and take action to address this urgent global health crisis. It is their firm belief that, working together, they will find the missing pieces of the puzzle.

Autism Speaks. It's time to listen.

Autism Speaks History - Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Since then, Autism Speaks has grown into the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. They are proud of what they've been able to accomplish and look forward to continued successes in the years ahead.

To read more about Autism Speaks' awareness, fundraising, science, and advocacy efforts, or to read about some of their other exciting initiatives, please visit their website.

B.R.A.K.E.S.

www.putonthebrakes.com

The mission of B.R.A.K.E.S. is to prevent injuries and save lives by training and educating teenage drivers and their parents about the importance of safe and responsible driving.

On January 26, 2008, Doug Herbert experienced every parent’s worst nightmare – his two sons, Jon, 17, and James, 12, lost their lives in a tragic automobile accident.  Herbert, trying to make sense of the tragedy, decided to form a non-profit organization that would focus on safe driving. 

He wanted to help prevent others parents, friends and families from enduring the pain of losing a loved one to an automobile accident.

Herbert partnered with Jon’s classmates from South Lake Christian Academy to create a name for the safe driving foundation.  The students chose B.R.A.K.E.S. – which stands for Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe.  Herbert took action and quickly applied for 501(c)(3) status. 

Since that time, Doug and his organization has continued to spread the word about the importance of safe driving. The organization has accomplished many of its initial goals and has great plans for the future!

Please visit their web site and get involved!  Be sure to tell Doug that RPM sent you!

Carrol Shelby Foundation

www.cscf.org

The Carroll Shelby Foundation appreciates the support they have received over the years. Together with corporate and private donations, they have made a real impact in the lives of many people.

This is an exciting time for their Foundation. For years they've wanted to find the right way to broaden their mission and continue helping kids later in life. They now believe we have found a way to do that.

Recently, the Board of Directors for the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation voted to change the organization's name to the Carroll Shelby Foundation. This change reflects the Foundation's expanded mission beyond its current outreach to include continuing education for young people.

Over the years, the Foundation has evolved from the Carroll Shelby Heart Fund, with a specific dedication to providing support for organ transplants, into the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation to help children who face all types of serious illnesses and the organizations that provide medical assistance. The Carroll Shelby Foundation will continue to help children battling life-threatening illnesses.

In addition, they will now assist kids as they grow into young adults by funding scholarships and supporting educational programs in automotive and related fields. Their first step towards this objective was to team with Northeast Texas Community College's Carroll Shelby Automotive Technology Center. Automotive education is important to the future of our great industry, and they're proud to help cultivate tomorrow's engineers, mechanics and designers.

In this new era, the Carroll Shelby Foundation will raise funds in both areas, which are equally close to Carroll Shelby's heart. This gives the foundation the chance to help children from their first heartbeat through their educational years.

The foundation is confident that all of our partners and donors will share their vision and support the new initiatives and fundraising programs that are on the horizon. They encourage you to learn more about their expanded mission on their website.

They thank everyone for their continued support and look forward to seeing you at their next event.

Child Help

www.childhelp.org

The story of Childhelp is about two young Hollywood actresses’ “chance” encounters—one with 11 homeless orphans abroad, and one with Nancy Reagan—and how they led to a lifelong commitment to helping children in need.

~ The Childhelp Story ~ 1959 - The Beginning of a Lifetime Commitment to Children…

Eleven half-American, half-Japanese orphans wandering homeless in Tokyo following a typhoon sparked a mission that has spanned internationally for nearly 50 years and impacted the lives of millions of children.

Hollywood actresses Sara Buckner (O’Meara) and Yvonne Lime (Fedderson) first met on the set of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, when they played the girlfriends of Ricky and David Nelson. Their mission for children began in 1959 when they were sent on a government-sponsored goodwill tour to visit troops in Japan.

On the streets of Tokyo after a typhoon, the actresses came upon a group of cold and frightened children huddled together for warmth. Learning they had no parents and were born from American troops during the Korean War, the young women took the children to their hotel room for the night with the idea of placing them into an orphanage the next day. What that they didn’t know then was that this was the beginning of a lifetime commitment to children.

They learned the youngsters had been turned away from orphanages because of their mixed heritage. They were told of a woman, Kin Horuchi, living in a one-room hut that kept several Japanese-American children.

She agreed to care for the 11 additional children and the ladies promised to send money to help the children. They thought the problem was settled, but word of what they were doing spread rapidly through the city. They had suddenly become surrogate mothers to a brood of 100 Japanese-American children that were left on the doorstep of the hut, which now needed to become an orphanage.

Returning to California, the actresses began to raise funds among friends and their families, as well as the film community to care for the children.

From that beginning grew International Orphans Incorporated, an organization that eventually built four orphanages, caring for thousands of abandoned Japanese-American children.

~ America’s Best Kept Secret ~

In 1966, the actresses were invited to Washington to discuss the building of orphanages for Vietnamese-American children. With the help of the Third Marine Amphibious Force, they established five orphanages, a hospital and a school for abandoned children in Vietnam. International Orphans Incorporated maintained the facilities until the American troops pulled out. In 1975, the two young women helped arrange Operation Baby Lift, flying thousands of children to waiting adoptive homes in America.

1975 - It was after a speech they made on International Orphans Incorporated, that Nancy Reagan, then First Lady of California, asked they turn their attention to “America’s best kept secret” – child abuse. The Senate Subcommittee on Children and Youth had just released a study that child abuse had become epidemic in the United States and was the leading cause of death in young children.

With encouragement of childcare experts in private and public sectors, International Orphans Incorporated began a campaign about child abuse, producing and airing the first television special on child abuse in America and in 1976, changed its name to Children’s Village USA. They began a program in the United States for abused and neglected children and called it a “village.” This was the only the beginning of a life-long mission to help children in need.

2010 - On average, 90 cents of every dollar donated goes to programs helping children. In nearly 50 years of operation, Childhelp Programs have helped over 4 million children.

Today, Sara O'Meara and Yvonne Fedderson continue to actively lead the organization as Chairman/CEO and President, respectively. The organization's hot-line, residential treatment centers and advocacy centers are studied by professionals from around the world, as "best practices" related to child abuse investigation and treatment methods.

Please visit their web site to see how you can help and get involved.

Racers Against Street Racing

www.rasr.info

Racers Against Street Racing (RASR) is a coalition of auto manufacturers, aftermarket parts companies, professional drag racers, sanctioning bodies, race tracks and automotive magazines devoted to promoting safe and legal alternatives to illegal street racing on a national level. The message is simple:

IF YOU WANT TO RACE, GO TO A RACETRACK!

The goal of RASR is to provide a professional controlled environment in which today's sport compact enthusiasts can participate in automotive-related events throughout the United States. RASR's initial focus is on drag racing and will expand to other forms of racing in the future.

Want to get involved? Start with not street racing…then tell your friends not to street race… and when challenged, take it to a sanctioned track.

The benefits? You live, others live, your car doesn't get impounded, you don't get arrested and fingerprinted and… the best of all... A TIME SLIP DOESN'T LIE!

RASR and industry professionals are working to spread the word and make it "cool" to get off the streets and onto the track. RASR is also working with local police agencies, as well as, racers to bring better involvement and understanding from both sides.

Look for information and program supporters displaying the RASR logo on flyers, magazines, packaging, email and other forms of media.

The Street Performance Council (SPC), a council of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), manages Racers Against Street Racing.

For more information, please visit their web site.

Relay For Life

www.relayforlife.org

Relay For Life - The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.

Relay began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington, ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay has grown from a single man’s passion to fight cancer into the world’s largest movement to end the disease. Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 20 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer. Thanks to Relay participants, the American Cancer Society continues to save lives.

For more information please visit their website.

SEMA Cares

www.sema.org/leadership-days/home

Get Involved with SEMA Cares by supporting and participating in the Annual SEMA Pinewood Drag Race.

The past events have seen more than 150+ entries and have raised over $40,000 each year for the children's charities Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp.

Held annually since its successful inaugural event in 2008, SEMA hosts the SEMA Pinewood Drag Races in conjunction with the annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser each year. The SEMA Pinewood Drag Races will benefit children’s charities Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. Childhelp is an organization that assists abused and neglected children, and Victory Junction Gang Camp provides life-changing camping experiences to disabled and chronically ill children.

In prior years, about 150+ cars were entered in the derby, which raised over $40,000 for the two charities. Stock-Class cars are built by children at their camps and then sponsored by SEMA member companies through their donations to the charities. SEMA manufacturers are also allowed to design and build their own entries for the Modified and Unlimited classes.

This day-long event is always followed by the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, where SEMA's Hall of Fame inductees will be announced.

To either submit an entry for the SEMA Pinewood Drag Races, inquire about event sponsorship, or if you have questions about the Pinewood Drag Races and the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, please contact Lisa Moreno at 909/396-0289 ext. 105 or at lisam@sema.org.

Please be sure to mention that RPM sent you!

Victory Junction Gang Camp

www.victoryjunction.org

In 1999, the Kyle Petty family participated in a charity motorcycle ride for Camp Boggy Creek, a camp for seriously ill children in Florida and a member of Paul Newman’s Association of Hole in the Wall Camps. The concept of Camp Boggy Creek inspired the Petty's, especially their son, Adam, who dreamed of building a camp in North Carolina for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. When Adam passed away in 2000, the Petty's decided to make their son’s dream a reality.

With guidance from other Hole in the Wall Camps and the help of their friends within the sport of NASCAR, they raised the funds necessary to make Adam’s dream come true. Victory Junction proudly welcomed our first campers in June 2004. Since then, Victory Junction has been growing and expanding as a free-of-charge, year-round camp for children and their families.

Since Victory Junction opened, they have served children from 47 states and three countries and thus recognized the growing need for a similar camp in the Midwest. They recently announced their decision to expand and are excited to announce the location for their new facility. Within the next two to three years, Victory Junction will open its second edition in Kansas City, Kansas!

Victory Junction has come a long way since 2004. From their son’s inspired dream to the fantastic reality that has changed the lives of thousands of children and their families, the Petty's remain humbled and thankful for Victory Junction. With your on-going support, Victory Junction will continue to spread life-changing experiences to special children!

Please visit their web site to see how you can help and become involved!