News
(june 27, 2012)
Second Annual Targa Newfoundland Autism Challenge drives fundraising
ST. JOHN’S (June 27, 2012) – Competitors in the 2012 edition of Targa Newfoundland will have more than silver plates and bragging rights to win in the 11th annual September motorsport classic. For the second year, competitors can earn a place in the spotlight for their efforts raising funds for one of the most worthy charities in the country.
The Targa Newfoundland Autism Challenge is a return of the competition for teams that raise funds for the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, the official charity of Targa Newfoundland.
“Last year was our first Challenge event and it was an enormous success, with the society gaining more than $120,000 -- including the funds raised by the teams competing for the Autism Challenge,” explains Elaine Dobbin, patron of the society and long-time fund-raiser for the organization. “The winning team of Jen Horsey and Ralph Gilles from Chrysler actually raised over $30,000.”
What makes this challenge different from the many demanding aspects of Targa competition is the reward that awaits the winner, says Targa organizer Robert Giannou.
“The team that raises the most funds for the Autism Society will have a choice of two fabulous travel prizes which can be put to excellent use after the event,” Giannou says. The competition is open to all Targa Newfoundland competitors, meaning that Grand Touring and Targa competition teams will compete on an equal footing. Items donated by teams to the charity auction at the annual awards gala are eligible for inclusion in the team’s total.
A multi-year agreement signed in 2010 saw the ASNL become the official charitable partner of Targa and the focus of the event’s fund-raising efforts with competitors, fans, sponsors and the communities in the Targa family. In 2010 and 2011, funds raised at the evening car shows in each of the rally’s overnight stops, for example, were used to support programming in communities in the area. Since 2010, Targa has helped to generate $155,000 for the society.
In a reciprocal move to recognize the funding efforts of the participating teams, the Society used part of those funds to create the Targa Technical Centres. Named in recognition of the efforts of Targa and its competitors, the Centres are located in six communities across Newfoundland and Labrador and provide educational assistance to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 11th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 8, 2012, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 15. The competition will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of Newfoundland, including up to 450 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages.
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Contact:
Media: Doug Mepham 613-966-4969
Competitors: Chris Langdon 709-722-2413
Sponsors: Robert Giannou 709-722-2413
rgiannou@targanewfoundland.com
Targa Newfoundland: www.targanewfoundland.com
