Dempsey Racing / Team Seattle raises over $60,000 for Seattle Children’s Hospital and The Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing

Kent WA, May 11^th 2010. Team Seattle and Dempsey racing have concluded a successful joint fund raising event at Pacific Raceways outside of Seattle.  The special on-track experience raised more than $60,000 in donations to be split between Seattle Children’s Hospital and The Dempsey Center for Cancer, Hope & Healing.

Guests donated $1000 each to receive a once in a lifetime experience which included a thrilling few laps of the race track in one of four Ferraris provided by both Ferrari of Seattle and Ferrari North America. Guests included notable Team Seattle and Dempsey Racing partners, key King County officials and author Garth Stein whose book ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’ was set in the region and in part at the track itself.

Dempsey Racing/Team Seattle Grand-Am drivers Patrick Dempsey, Joe Foster, James Gue and Don Kitch Jr. piloted the cars for over 2 hours giving excited and apprehensive passengers sheer delight by driving the magnificent Italian machines at speeds only a select few will ever experience. One lucky passenger, Lindsay Logan, commented “I’m a huge fan of Team Seattle [and the work they're doing with Children's], and I love speed and beautiful cars — this was an incredible experience that I’ll remember for a long time!”

Following the on track activity guests were entertained with speeches provided by Don Kitch Jr. (Team Seattle founder), Dr. Gordon Cohen and Patrick Dempsey while being provided a fully catered 3 course meal track side. Upon leaving guests were given an exclusive souvenir of the event, a group photograph from the evening (thanks to expedited printing by professional photographer Curtis Creager who donated his time for the evening) signed by all 4 drivers.

The evening continued Team Seattle’s commitment to Seattle Children’s Hospital and increased the funds raised tally for 2010 to $435,000. Don Kitch Jr. commented “this was a fantastic event and one that raised valuable funds and awareness for our cause” he continued by saying “we’ve made an additional $5M commitment to the hospital and our Partnership with Dempsey Racing and JG Sport is providing us the opportunity to make that goal a reality”.

Dempsey, who had accompanied Kitch, Gue and Foster, as well as other Team Seattle members and partners, on a tour of the Hospital and visit to the King County Council Chambers earlier in the day commented on Seattle Channel 4 News “it’s about giving as much as you can and there is a responsibility when you have a certain amount of visibility to use it as a positive”  

Dempsey Racing and Team Seattle will be back on track in late May at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut where they will continue their yearlong campaign in the Rolex Grand-Am GT series.

More information on the event can be found at Team Seattle’s Facebook page. Follow Team Seattle online to keep up to date on the team’s success throughout the remainder of 2010.

Pro Photographer Curtis Creager donated his time on Monday night to take some fantastic shots of the evening. His gallery has photos and prints for sale and he's going to donate 10% of all proceeds to Team Seattle. Check out the rest of the shots here:

http://www.creagerimages.com/2010-gatherings/Team-Seattle-Dine/