iN PHOTOS: South Okanagan's Area 27 opens its race track for the kids
Area 27’s Cars for a Cause event in Oliver last week put smiles on kids’ faces and money in the bank for children with developmental challenges down the road.
Funds raised during the day-long rides and displays of some of the hottest cars on the track were in support of the OSNS Legacy Foundation.
The money will be used in perpetuity to support the work of the OSNS Child and Youth Development Centre in the South Okanagan Similkameen.
One of the many club members who donated their time and vehicles for the cause was Chris Sacré of Vaseux Lake.
“It’s heartbreaking too see some of the challenges these families go through but to see the level of engagement and the joy on the kids’ face around the cars and in the cars is very special,” he said.
“There’s a lot of hardship in the world and we’re so blessed here, and we are part of the community and if we can use our cars to raise money and give people experiences they would never otherwise have, really, why wouldn’t you?”
Matching the right drivers and kids is critical to the day’s success, according to Area 27 general manager Karla Kozakevich.
“That’s a key part of today,” she said. “They (drivers) know the money is going somewhere but to meet these families and see where the money is going to is really rewarding for them.
“They hardly ever get to do this and they love being able to take the kids out in their cars. It makes them very happy to donate their cars, their time, the tires, the brakes to put this on for the kids.”
Two of the children who took the rides were Maddix Marple, 2, and brother Jaxson, who both go to OSNS.
Their mother, Kreshia, knows first-hand the importance of early intervention in ongoing childhood development.
“I went through this when I was just a little kid myself and I went to the OSNS centre,” she said. “From me going there as a kid and now my kids going through it, I’m just so grateful on so many levels for the help they give.
“I have seen such progress in my sons’ development. I have no idea of where they would be without the centre, no clue what would happen to them without it, so, this is just a win-win.”
The day began with a show-and-shine display of the vehicles, which ranged from vintage to exotic, followed by the vehicle parade around the track with the young special guests on board.
After that, paying passengers jumped into their seats beside the drivers for some exhilarating, high-energy laps of the luxury motorsport circuit.
Someone else who was wearing a big smile that day was OSNS executive director Heather Miller.
“Partnering with Area 27 to get some funding for sustainable services in the Okanagan Similkameen has just been fantastic,” she said. “The kids are just having so much fun. At the registration desk this morning there was so much anticipation and excitement on their faces. It’s just such a wonderful opportunity.”
Particularly grateful for the motorsports park’s help is Mark Melissen, chair of the OSNS Legacy Foundation.
“I think Area 27 has the same values as we do and have always been very supportive and very open to helping us with our causes,” he said prior to the event.
Organizers are still tabulating the amount raised. This was the first Cars for the Cause event since 2019, which brought in over $100,000.
— This story was originally published by the Penticton Herald.
