2016 Upshift Summer Bash Press Release

 

Upshift Summer Bash Press Release 2016
*For Immediate Release*
We are thrilled to announce our 3rd  annual Drive For Independence Upshift Summer Bash. This year’s event will be held at the Antique Automobile Club Of America Musem, 161 Museum Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, on Saturday, July 30th,2016, It is a car show, food truck and vendor event. There will be plenty of beautiful cars, trucks and motorcycles, food vendors to tempt your taste buds, plenty of vendors to pique your interest, and  T1 DJ Service, Travis Workinger  to keep the party going. The Upshift Summer Bash is a  fundraiser for Drive For Independence, a new organization in York PA to help adults with high level disabilities get wheelchair accessible vehicles to get to work. We are working towards the costs of becoming a 501(c)3 organization.
Our sponsors and vendors help us to make the Upshift Summer Bash possible.Thank you to our Platinum Sponsors Keystone Mobility and AT&T Wireless- Harrisburg Mall. We would also like to thank our Gols and Silver sponsors as well. They are, Gold sponsors, Zunic Advisory Services, and Cold Cuts Merchandise, Silver sponsors, East Penn Manufacturing, Car Care Source, David Owens Bonsai, Passanante’s Home Food Service, and Jim and Polly Shumate in Memory of Tyler Shumate. Our Platinum, Gold, and Silver Sponsors made 50 t-shirts  possible for the first 50 registered vehicles! Our Bronze Sponsors are MTH Metal Art, Junk Ta Funk, The Barbecue Machine LLC, and T &E Lemonade. Thank you all!
Be sure to stop by and say hello to them! Hungry? We have a great selection of 6 food vendors from barbecue to ice cream to fill you up.    We also have vendors for all your shopping needs! Home crafters and favorite direct sales companies will be on hand to satisfy your shopping fun.  We will also have a ticket auction and silent auction. Each car show participant will receive 1 ticket for the ticket auction upon registering. Spectators can also receive 1 ticket by registering for the silent auction. We will have our “Fill the Tank” where every  donation will earn you tickets: 1 ticket for $1.00, 6 tickets for $5.00, 13 for $10.00, and an arm span for $20. We have some great silent auction and ticket auction donations coming in from the the Vineyard and Brewery at Hershey, The Pride of the Susquehanna, Goin’ Bananas, Advance Auto, Koup’s Cycle Shop, Ski Roundtop, Adventure Sports in Hershey, Turkey Hill Experience, York Revolution, and much more!
We would love to fill our show field with 150+ Cars, trucks and motorcycles. Pre-register your vehicle by July 23rd by visiting: https://squareup.com/store/christopher-sauerbaum/item/upshift-summer-bash-registration.  You can also pre-register by going to the link below and printing out the mail-in registration. Pre-registration $20.00 and includes 1 admission to the museum ($8.00 of the $20.00 goes to the museum for that admission) while the day of the show registration is $25.00. The FIrst 50 registered Vehicles will receive a free T-Shirt! We will have Best of Show, Peoples’ Choice, Kids’ Choice and 17 class trophies including many car makes, trucks and motorcycles. See this link for more details:  https://driveforindependence.wordpress.com/2016/02/01/2016-upshift-summer-bash-flyer/. Trophies are designed by Chris Sauerbaum for the judged show field. There will also be a People’s Choice trophy voted on by fellow participants and the general public. The first 100 registered cars will receive a dash plaque and we will have 50 shirts to give away.  Chris is definitely showcasing his graphic design abilities with this show.
We will continue to grow the Upshift Summer bash bigger as Drive For Independence grows. We are taking everything we learned from fund raising for Christopher Sauerbaum’s Wheelchair accessible truck and helping others in a similar situation achieve accessible transportation for work. For more information please see https://driveforindependence.wordpress.com/2016/01/24/were-on-the-move-3rd-annual-upshift-summer-bash/ or our Drive for Independence Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/driveforindependence. To make a tax-deductible donation please see http://www.philanthropicendeavors.org/ and mark Drive for Independence in the Paypal notes section. We can be reached at driveforindependence@gmail.com or 717-991-5921.
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Isaac’s Dine for Drive

On Thursday April 7th 5pm-9pm we will have our 2nd Dine For Drive For Independence at Isaac’s in East York. Everyone has to eat so this is a super simple way to support Drive For Independence. Print out the flyer using the PDF link below (or stop by to see us on Saturday April 2nd to pick one up), fill it out and give it to your waiter/waitress. It can even be used on take out orders! Once we have $100 in sales that evening Isaac’s will donate 25% of the total sales for that evening to us Can’t join us that evening? Get a gift card for later and 15% of the value of the gift card will go towards the fundraising event.

Let us know you are coming on Facebook: Dine for Drive For Independence @ Isaac’s East York

Printable Isaac’s flyer for 4/7/16

We’re on the move: 3rd Annual Upshift Summer Bash

Let us Know you are coming on Facebook

Square Online Car Registration

Mail-in Registration for cars

Upshift flyer

The 3rd Annual Upshift Summer Bash is moving to a new location! We’re excited to announce we will be at the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Join us on Saturday July 30th 10am-4pm for the 3rd Annual Upshift Summer Bash at the AACA Museum 161 Museum Dr, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033. There will be plenty of cars, trucks, and motorcycles to pique your interest an much more! Enjoy music, a variety of food trucks, and a great group of vendors ranging from car care to crafters and artisans. Bring the entire family! Your car registration donation includes 1 admission to the museum. Pre-register at the discounted rate of $20.00 (use the Square Up link below or send in your registration using one of our pre-registration forms in the link below). The day of the show is $25.00. Additional visitor tickets to the museum are regular museum admission price (See this link to purchase tickets to the museum only: http://www.aacamuseum.org/visit/hours-rates/ ). Unless you want to visit the museum, spectators are free.
We will be raising funds for Drive For Independence. Our goal is to help adults with physical disabilities get the transportation they need to get to work. Please join us to help others reach their goals in life!

We are looking for vendors and sponsors. Vendor spaces are $25 with a silent auction/ticket auction donation and$35 without. Sponsorship levels are Bronze $50,
silver $100.00 (1 trophy/class plus what is listed in the letter), Gold $250 (3 trophies/class plus what is listed in letter), Platinum (only 2 spaces available large trophy best of show or People’s Choice).

FIRST 50 VEHICLES REGISTERED  WILL RECEIVE AN  UPSHIFT T-SHIRT! Who doesn’t love a free T-shirt? Register vehicles here and don’t forget to tell us your shirt size in the comments section: https://squareup.com/store/christopher-sauerbaum/item/upshift-summer-bash-registration

Classes are listed below in the sponsorship letter. Please see links below to register. We are currently looking for sponsors, vendors, and food trucks. We currently have a DJ- T1 DJ Services by Travis Workinger. Interested sponsors please see the sponsorship letter below. If you would like to register as a sponsor, vendor, or food truck please contact us for an application: Driveforindependence@gmail.com.

SPONSORSHIP LETTER-  2016 Upshift Sponsorship Letter

Heather Sloat
Drive For Independence
Upshift Summer Bash 2016
PO Box 20752
York PA 17402

/ /2016

Dear ,
Drive for Independence is an organization dedicated to helping individuals with high level disabilities obtain wheelchair accessible vehicles needed to drive themselves to work and achieve their dreams of independence. We have already helped one individual achieve his dream. Christopher Sauerbaum along with his wife and many other dedicated individuals raised the funds needed for a down payment on his Truck that was recently converted for his specific needs. He is now able to drive himself to work and run everyday errands without relying on a bus or someone else to drive. After meeting his goal they decided to immediately work on paying it forward and help others meet the same goal of being able to drive themselves to work and lead an overall more independent life.
Our annual Upshift Summer Bash car show is one of our largest fundraisers. Upshift Summer Bash 2016 will be held on Saturday, July 30th, 2016 at the AACA Museum in Hershey PA and will showcase a variety of vehicles including cars, trucks and motorcycles with everything from classics to tuners. We are seeking the support of business and private sponsors. There are several possible ways to support this event including Sponsorship, donation to the silent auction and raffle, and door prizes.
We are also accepting donations to the silent auction (donations worth over $50.00) / ticket auction ( items valued under $50.00) to be held during the event. The items will be on display throughout the event for the public to bid on. Each item will include a card with information about the item including the value and who it was donated by. Corporate sponsorship is not necessary to make a donation to the silent auction. All donations are greatly appreciated.

Platinum, Gold and Silver Sponsorship Levels are limited and will go on a first come basis. We encourage all interested sponsors to return the sponsorship form as soon as possible to ensure inclusion of your logo on promotional materials. Logo must be in .JPEG, .PSD, or .EPS format and at least 150dpi (300dpi preferred).
Please e-mail your artwork to: driveforindependence@gmail.com.

We thank you for your consideration in supporting our Upshift Summer Bash 2016 and ultimately our mission with Drive for Independence in helping individuals with high level disabilities reach their goal of being able to drive themselves to work and achieve a new level of independence.
We look forward to seeing you join us at the Upshift Summer Bash 2016 being held at the AACA Museum in Hershey, located at 131 Museum Dr, Hershey, PA 17033 .
Thank you for your continuing support,
Heather Sloat

As an Upshift Summer Bash 2016 sponsor you will receive recognition in a variety of ways:

Platinum Level $300
⦁ A vendor spot at the event
⦁ Logo or business information in the program
⦁ Option to include fliers, promotional material, or samples in the Give away bag
⦁ Logo on Dash Plaques
⦁ Logo on banners and fliers
⦁ Sponsorship of the Best of Show trophy OR People’s Choice trophy (these trophies will be larger and more elaborate than the other classes)

Silver Level $100 (sponsorship of single trophy for the chosen class) OR Gold Level $250 (Sponsorship of 3 trophies for 1st,2nd, 3rd for the chosen class)
⦁ A vendor spot at the event
⦁ Logo or business information in the program
⦁ Option to include fliers, promotional material, or samples in the Give away bag
⦁ Logo on banners and fliers
⦁ Option to Judge sponsored class

Class Choices:
Pre-1955
1955-1980’s Mopar
1955-1980’s Ford
1955-1980’s GM
1980’s to present Mopar
1980’s to present GM
1980’s to present Ford
Classic Euro
Modern Euro
Classic Imports (non euro)
Modern Imports (non euro)
Classic Street Truck
Modern street Truck
Mini Trucks
Off road trucks/ Jeeps/ SUV’s
Open/Specialty Class
Motorcycle

Bronze Level $50.00
⦁ Vendor space at the event
⦁ Logo or business information in the program
⦁ Option to include fliers, promotional material, or samples in the Give away bag

Any questions please contact me via email at driveforindependence@gmail.com
or by phone 717-991-5921.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DC Abilities Expo Wrap Up

The Abilities Expo was a humbling and eye opening experience. Being there as a consumer is one thing but being there and interacting and talking with public as an organization is a completely different experience. We found out some great information and found other organizations to work with.

After talking with many people, we are definitely on the right track and Drive For Independence is a much needed organization. We are looking forward to more opportunities and want to grow and expand all over the country and we will definitely be pursuing our 501(c)3 status in the new year.

We hope to attend the Abilities Expo in May and would definitely like to attend the DC Expo again. A big thank you to our sponsors Meeting Well and Mobility Works for making our trip possible and being able to share Drive For Independence in a new community!

We look forward to what the new year will bring and the anticipation of future Abilities Expos!

 

Thank You for a Successful Bazaar

We’d like to to thank everyone who helped make our first annual Drive For Independence Holiday Bazaar a success! It was a great day despite the slow traffic.

We had a gorgeous space, wonderful organic, gluten-free, and vegan food options, and yummy chicken corn soup for starters. We had an awesome group of supportive vendors, many unique handmade goods such as soaps, candles, jewelry, and decor as well as favorite home-based vendors such as Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple, Perfectly Posh, and LulaRoe.  Santa also stopped by for a visit! We even had visits from ABC27 (ABC27 Story) and CBS21 (Local21 Story). Use the blue links to visit. Thank you to everyone who made the day a success!

Our ticket auction alone raised $70! After all expenses we were able to raise 189.35! Thank you for helping to raise money towards our start-up and program costs as we work towards helping adults with disabilities get the transportation they need for work and fulfilling their goals!

Come visit us at The First Annual DC Abilities Expo

Come visit Drive For Independence in Booth 116. We are extremely excited to be there! We were invited to be a part of the Expo and cannot thank our sponsors, Meeting Well and MobilityWorks, enough for making this trip a reality!
Meeting Well
MobilityWorks

You’ve seen Chris test out the Mobility SVM truck at the New York/New Jersey Expo, here’s your chance to come see all the great products to make life easier! Best of all, Admission is FREE!!!!!
Check out all the exhibitors here: Abilities Expo Exhibitors

Let us know you are coming to visit Drive For Independence on Facebook:
Drive for Independence @ the DC Abilities Expo!

Drive For Independence Holiday Bazaar and Calendars

We are announcing some of our upcoming fundraisers. We’ve created the calendar and our Holiday Bazaar is Saturday Nov. 21st.

Calendars are ready! They are $12.00 a piece. They are a standard 12-month wall calendar size, 11″×17″. The calendars feature winners of our first 2 Upshift Summer Bash car shows. We have a PayPal link below to order.(there is a shipping charge if we need to ship).  When you go to order you will have to input $12.00 for each calendar you want (ex 1 calendar would be $12, 2 calendars would be $24 etc.) If you need a shipping quote or have questions please use the contact form to get in touch with us before ordering. You can also order by sending a check or money order made out to Heather Sloat or Chris Sauerbaum with a note stating Drive for Independence Calendar. Send the check/money order to Drive For Independence, PO Box 20752 York PA 17402. Orders and money due by Thursday, November 5th, 2015.

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We will be holding our Holiday Bazaar Saturday November 21st, 2015 10am-4pm at the Agape Professional Center, 907 Roosevelt Ave, York PA 17404. We are looking for vendors, including a few food vendors. We are planning to have a Santa with a photographer. We are also looking for volunteers to help with a gift wrapping station. If you can give an hour or 2 of your time to help in the gift wrapping station, please let us know. Please contact us via driveforindependence@gmail.com or our Drive For Independence Face Book Page.

We would also like to help out our friends at ABLE-Services ( part of the Leg Up Farm Family) by collecting needed supplies for their program for Christmas. We will have a box at the bazaar for donations and if you have a business where you would like to place a box to collect items please contact us. here is a list of the types of items they are looking for. This is their Amazon wish list but items do not need to be purchased from Amazon and similar items may be purchased. Games, Art kits, and fitness items are favorites of Able-Services participants.
Able Services Wish List

More information about the Holiday Bazaar can be found here:Drive For Independence Holiday Bazaar

York City man’s dream of driving comes true with specialized truck

By GREG GROSS

With the press of a button on the key fob, the driver’s side and rear doors of Chris Sauerbaum’s pearly white GMC extended-cab pickup truck popped open and began to move outward.

About a minute later, the door was in position — about four feet from the truck body — and the wheelchair lift was on the ground. Sauerbaum, 33, of York City, maneuvered himself into position for the ride into the driver’s compartment.

Another minute or so later, Sauerbaum, who has a physical disability resulting from chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy, was in position behind the steering wheel, joysticks in hand and ready to roll.

Chris Sauerbaum of York City demonstrates the door lift on his custom GMC pickup truck at Cousler Park Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015. Sauerbaum, who suffers from a rare form of muscular dystrophy, has no legs and had the truck outfitted so he could operate it. Bill Kalina – bkalina@yorkdispatch.com

The truck, especially when the doors open, is a head-turner.

“You might as well be driving a Lamborghini,” Sauerbaum said.

But driving anything is what makes him happy. It’s something he’s wanted to do for more than a decade.

Driver: The journey to getting Sauerbaum behind the wheel of his own car started 11 years ago. The process has cost thousands of dollars and borne numerous setbacks.

He originally bought a Chrysler PT Cruiser with hopes of converting it to work with his disabilities. But it couldn’t be outfitted with the needed joystick controls.

Finally in 2013, Sauerbaum and wife Heather Sloat started an appeal for donations to raise money for a down payment on the pickup truck.

They raised the needed $10,000, including a $2,500 donation from Oletowne Jewelers, 2157 White St. in West Manchester Township, and made the down payment on the GMC Sierra pickup a few months ago.

The truck was then sent off to undergo a $91,000 conversion, which was covered by the state Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the family of four finally took delivery of it about three weeks ago.

Chris Sauerbaum of York City demonstrates the capabilities of his custom GMC pickup truck at Cousler Park Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015. Sauerbaum, who suffers from a rare form of muscular dystrophy, has no legs and had the truck outfitted so he could operate it. Bill Kalina – bkalina@yorkdispatch.com

“Think of it as a big (remote controlled) car. An 8,000 pound R/C car,” Sauerbaum said of the added electronics that allow him to operate the truck.

The pickup features two joysticks in the driver’s compartment. One allows him to feed the engine gas and to brake, and the other controls steering.

It took Sauerbaum a week and a half of training to get ready for the road.

Easier life: Driving not only gives Sauerbaum the freedom of the road but also frees up Sloat’s day.

In the past, she’d have to drive him to work, racking up 80 miles on the odometer each day, she said.

Now that Sauerbaum has his truck, he and Sloat want to help others in similar situations get behind the wheel.

They are working to gain 501(c)(3) status for Drive for Independence, a nonprofit organization they are starting to help people with disabilities navigate the process of getting a converted car that meets their needs.

“It’s just one piece of the puzzle to get people to work,” Sloat said.

The truck also met with approval during a recent car show in Mountville, Lancaster County. It took home first place in the street truck/SUV class at the Turn Up the Pink Car Show, Sloat said.

Sauerbaum and Sloat’s two 6-year-old boys, Tucker and Harley Sauerbaum, were anxiously awaiting their ride in the truck. But first, they needed new car seats.

Harley wasn’t always so keen on the truck.

Sloat and Sauerbaum showed the boys a video of Sauerbaum testing out a similar truck. As the doors slid open and Sauerbaum prepared to get in, Harley got a horrified look on his face and started crying.

“Harley said, ‘Why is that Transformer eating Daddy?'” Sloat said.

For more information about Drive for Independence, visit http://www.driveforindependence.wordpress.com.

— Reach Greg Gross at ggross@yorkdispatch.com.

 

York Dispatch Article

Almost there! Help us reach our 2015 Upshift Summer Bash Goal!

 Drive for Independence would like to again, thank you all for helping make our 2nd Annual Upshift Summer Bash a huge success!

We made a lofty goal of $2000 for this year’s event
and have fallen just a little short.

We need your help! To help raise the remaining $200,
we have added a few incentives!!!

Donations are being accepted in person, by mail and via PayPal. For your convenience, use the Paypal link below to donate or use the contact form to contact us for our mailing address or to set up an in person meet.  When making your donation, please be sure to include your mailing address. This will help us to send your gift out to you! If you are local and would like to pick up your gift, please let us know!

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The donation incentives are as follows:

For each $5 donation, we will send you one of the commemorative Upshift Summer Bash drawstring backpack!

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For each $10 donation, we will send you a Lower ’48 Tucker Reproduction by Rob Ida poster and the commemorative Upshift Summer Bash drawstring backpack!

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For each $15 donation, we will send you one of our Drive for Independence Key Chains, in addition to the commemorative Upshift Summer Bash drawstring backpack, and Lower ’48 Tucker Reproduction by Rob Ida poster!

Thank you for your ongoing support of Drive For Independence!

Upshift Trophies!

1st Place all lit up! Thank you Mobility SVM for your Sponsorship!

Thank you to our Sponsors: 2nd place-Preston Tucker LLC, 3rd Place- Ida Automotive, Best Motorcycle – Aadvantage Insurance

Thank you to our sponsors: Best Truck – Ride-Away Wheelchair Vehicles and People’s Choice- Jim and Polly Shumate in Honor of Tyler Shumate

Prize pack includes $50 gift card, Sns Croftgate, wash bucket with Wash and Wax

Prize Pack includes SnS Croftgate Wash and Wax, Tire Shine Plus, and Aquanil X and a Tucker T-shirt (not pictured)

Prize package includes trial pack of SnS Croftgate Project X, Wash and Wax, Tire Shine Plus, and Quick and Slick and a Tucker Torpedo poster

Prize package includes trial pack of SnS Croftgate Project X, Wash and Wax, Tire Shine Plus, and Quick and Slick

Prize package includes trial pack of SnS Croftgate Project-X, Wash and Wax, Tire Shine Plus, and Quick n Slick

Prize package includes trial pack of SnS Croftgate Project X, Aquanil X, Multi-Clean and Quick n Slick