NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (Aug. 6, 2012) – Now in its second year, a fundraising campaign organized by the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association (OCADA) seeks to raise more than $250,000 for elementary, junior and high school students in Orange County. At a time when schools throughout the county are facing dramatic cuts for the coming school year, this fundraising effort will raise critical funds for sports, music, and arts programs as well as student groups and clubs. To date more than 20,000 students from 71 schools have joined the program, and registrations will be accepted until August 31.
When the group of auto dealers looked at the budget cuts facing our schools, they knew that they wanted to help and as owners of the Orange County International Auto Show they knew they had a great way to do it. So the fundraising program was developed to enable students to sell tickets to the Orange County International Auto Show, with 100% of each ticket sale going toward the ticket buyer’s choice of school, department or organized school club within Orange County.
In its inaugural year, the fundraising program underwent a soft launch with just one school district in Anaheim and more than $15,000 was raised. This year the program is available to every student group or team in Orange County. With more lead time to enhance and communicate the program to more students, and no limits on the amount of tickets sold, the auto dealers hope to raise as much as $250,000 this year.
In 2011, Sycamore Junior High School in Anaheim was the top-selling school with students raising $4,730. This year with more time and better resources, the students realize the potential of the program and have set a new goal of $45,000.
“The fundraising program with the Orange County Auto Show was a really great opportunity for our school last year,” said Joe Carmona, Principal, Sycamore Jr. High School. “There were a lot of benefits. There is no initial outlay of money so groups can get started immediately with sales and all of that money comes back to us and goes directly into the programs. Whatever we sell, we get that money back and there are virtually no other fundraising programs that have that built in.”
Schools, student groups and teams who wish to participate simply visit ocstudentfundraising.com to sign up. The intuitive, user-friendly and secure website offers instructional videos, lets students create custom marketing and informational materials, and tracks the number of tickets sold. Students can sell tickets online through the website, email and social media. Ticket buyers also receive a free, annual subscription to Motor Trend magazine and a chance to win the new iPad. As an added incentive, students in each district school who sell the most tickets will win a $100 gift card and every student that sells more than five tickets will have a chance to win the new iPad.
“The OC Auto Show Student Fundraising program is off to an amazing start this year and we couldn’t be happier,” said Jon Gray, Chairman of the OC International Auto Show. “Our local schools are in dire need of support and we are 100 percent behind our students and want to help their sports teams, clubs and groups continue to grow and succeed.”
The Orange County International Auto Show, now in its 48th year, runs Thurs., Oct. 4 through Sun., Oct. 7, at the Anaheim Convention Center, where car shoppers and enthusiasts can browse hundreds of new cars, trucks, SUVs, hot exotics, and alternative fuel vehicles in a non-sales, informative and fun environment.
About the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association
Established in 1938, the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association serves the more than 117 franchised new vehicle dealers in Orange County. For more information, please contact OCADA at 949-428-5050 or visit www.ocada.org.
Contact:
Erin Peacock, Peacock PR
(949) 464-1096 Office, (949) 939-1872 Cell
peacockpr@cox.net
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