These Supercars Don't Just Run Fast, They Do Charity As Well Supercars and hypercars are now being used across the world to raise funds for charities, especially for children
By Vidhi Bubna
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Using supercars to make more money has been trending in fundraising and charity event circles. In 2017, the 8th Ferrari Charity attracted 25,000 people. Various children from charities were treated to an exhilarating ride of a Ferrari around the SilverStone circuit. Supercars are an innovative way to attract the attention of people towards an event. Various charities even stick their logos on supercars during events to generate more traffic and raise funds. The cars in these supercar events include Lamborghini, Ferrari and various others. Recently even hypercars like McLaren Senna have been used to raise funds for charities.
Diamond Rally is another charity-based event where the driver can select the charity to which they want to donate and have its logo on the supercar. According to Mustafa Sheikh, founder of New Zealand-based charity Bread, "Supercars are a great way to attract more people towards a charity. The owners bring in their cars to the event for a drive and pay an entrance fee. The entrance fee in turn goes to the charity."
These are unlike other charity events where people donate money out of goodwill and do not get anything in return. The supercar model works differently. Here, the owner of the car gets something in return with the drive. This model helps the charity because it is easier for them to raise funds. Moreover, the amount each person is donating to the charity is also higher.
In 2017, MyChoize Self Drive Cars had also hosted a supercar charity event where supercar drives were put on auction. The winners of the auction got a chance to drive at the Buddh International Circuit and the amount was donated to a charity. An Audi R8 costs INR 2.55 crore, a Lamborghini is at INR 5.2 crore and a Porsche is at INR 1.37 crore. For many people riding these cars may be quite a dream.
Nick Li, owner of limited edition Lamborghini and Mclaren says, "I take part in charity events with my cars because it's better than the cars lying in my garage or me taking it out to the nightclub. As a child, I saw similar car events but I never thought that they would be a reality for larger audiences. Kids often see my car and come to me to understand what I do and what it takes to buy a car like this. I always give them an honest answer and ask them to focus on their education". Li adds that he likes to see the attention that the car brings for the charity and the positive impact.
The impact of the cars on the kids from charities is also huge. The children have often seen Lamborghinis on the cover of magazines, however seeing it live makes them realize that their dreams can come to life. Interacting with the owners of the supercars makes children feel like they have something to aspire to be. The entire feeling is more real than what could ever be captured in a textbook at school. Sitting in Lamborghinis or Ferraris at such events gives children more exposure and motivates them to study. Founder of Charity Bread Sheikh highlights, "The children at charities get really excited when they see supercars and sit in them. They know that these things exist but they often don't think that they will be able to buy it. Looking at a supercar, feeling it and sitting in it feels more real to them. In a way the children are able to believe in themselves even more."
Tanveer Singh, owner of GT63s and Lamborghini Huracan Performante takes his supercars to charity events for similar reasons. To him, a supercar has the power to motivate children to achieve more in their life. "I never thought that my cars could be used to raise funds and generate traffic for charitable causes. When you buy a car for yourself, you rarely think that the car will be used for charitable causes. When I saw my cars being used for a larger purpose, I was proud of myself. These supercars can really help charities to get attention and many owners are participating in charity events to raise funds for various causes"
Supercars and hypercars are now being used across the world to raise funds for charities. Circuits have become a trending place to host charity fundraiser events. They get people excited, generate traffic and give the opportunity to make memories for a lifetime. For the children associated with charities, they give them the motivation for a lifetime because they see their dreams unfolding right in front of them.