Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Tops $7 Million All Time Donation, Recognizes Sponsors and Volunteers at Victory Lap Event
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix waived the checkered flag on a spectacular 2024 event by presenting a $350,000 donation check to its charity partners. This broke the $7 million mark for charitable grants to our long-time charity recipients at Autism Pittsburgh and Merakey Allegheny Valley School.
The Victory Lap event was held at the Double Tree Hilton in Cranberry on Monday, December 2, with 250 attendees that included volunteers, sponsors, partners and a large contingent of residents and staff from the Charity Partners.
The staff and residents of Merakey Allegheny Valley School accept the charity check from PVGP Chairman James Dolan. The proceeds from the 2024 events are split between Merakey and Autism Pittsburgh.
On behalf of Merakey Allegheny Valley School, Senior Executive Director Roni Erath expressed her ‘heartfelt gratitude to the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association and its community for their unwavering support throughout the year. Your incredible generosity has made a lasting impact on the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and autism. Your dedication to this exceptional event shines a spotlight on Pittsburgh and provides crucial assistance to those in need.’
Jesse Torisky, CEO of Autism-Pittsburgh, stated, ‘Since its foundation over four decades ago, Autism Pittsburgh has been honored to be a part of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. Throughout the years, the artfully mastered car shows, the checkered flags, and the winding streets of Schenley Park, it has been a privilege to see this motorsport festival grow. From its inception, partnering with passionate car enthusiasts and community advocates in 1983, we are humbled to have shared the over $7 million raised with Merakey/Allegheny Valley School. These funds help an immense number of members in our community, providing those on the autism spectrum and with disabilities the highest quality of life, resources, support, empowerment, and advocacy. This is not only our largest fundraiser but also one we especially look forward to every year. Coming together every year and seeing faces, new and old, shows that the Grand Prix has become a testament to the power of community and shared purpose, celebrating beautiful cars, life-changing compassion, and the collective drive (literally) to make a difference.’
PVGP Chairman James Dolan was on hand to unveil the check and spoke to the exciting future of the PVGP, ‘this was another great year for the PVGP. We hosted the 60th GT40 Reunion, Historic Stock Cars at the Historics at Pitt Race, Vintage Indy and the colorful Ragtime Racers in Schenley Park. This year marked a new evening event at the beautiful Phipps Conservatory adjoining the Schenley Park race course. The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix was nominated at the International Historic Motoring Awards in London as the Motorsport Event of the Year. This is the most prestigious global award in the motorsport and collector car world, celebrating the achievements of people and organizations worldwide. We are honored to be recognized in the company of so many distinguished international motorsport events. The real honor belongs to our volunteers, whose tireless efforts make this a unique motorsports event. We look forward to winning this coveted award one day as we continue to enhance and expand the PVGP.”
‘It was wonderful to see so many residents and staff from our charity partners present last night. To hear their gratitude and excitement directly from the residents drives home that we all do this for charity. The checkered flags we awarded are a token of appreciation for the Winning Efforts to stage our Motorsport Events. We have awarded 152 flags, and I’m thrilled to present them to volunteers, sponsors and partners to recognize their incredible commitment,’ said Dan DelBianco, PVGP Executive Director. History of PVGP Checkered Flag Winners
The PVGP awarded checkered flags to volunteers and partners for outstanding efforts in 2024. Left to right: Chris Williams, Manley Ford, John & Sukey Jamison, Gene Hlavac, Hunter Eckhardt, Sean Kunkle, AJ Anselm, Evelyn Kelly Searle, Joe Tomko, Kathy Stout and Jim Williams. Not present: Maralee Williams, Frank Faraone and Mike Renner.
CONTACT:
Dan DelBianco Phone (412) 559-3500
ABOUT THE PITTSBURGH VINTAGE GRAND PRIX
Begun in 1983, the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Motorsport Festival features two weekends of racing action. The first weekend is the PVGP Historics at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. The second weekend is racing through a 2.33-mile road course set on the streets of Schenley Park. Scheduled between the race weekends are car shows, parties, road rallies, and a black-tie formal. The PVGP is a volunteer-driven organization with 1,200 individuals dedicated to staging the country’s largest vintage race event. It is also a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization with a mission to provide residential care, treatment and support for people with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities.