DANA POINT, Calif. – April 10, 2013 – The Orange County Collector Car and Motorcycle WeekTM, featuring the celebrated Dana Point Concours d’Elegance, ® is revving up its engines to support three extremely deserving Marine Corps charities including Semper Fi Fund, MARSOC (U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command) Foundation and the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. Each charity will receive a portion of the proceeds raised during the week-long automotive celebration held June 21-23, 2013, adjacent to the Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond awarded St. Regis Monarch Beach resort.
“We’re very fortunate to have many military men and women in the area who are stationed at Camp Pendleton,” said Jeff Spellens, board president. “These unsung heroes put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms and liberties. We wanted to show our gratitude for their sacrifices by dedicating proceeds from our collector car week to three Marine Corps charities. This is the largest charitable effort we’ve made in our organization’s history, and we couldn’t think of a more deserving group to support.”
The Marine Corp charities benefiting from the Orange County Collector Car and Motorcycle Week include:
•Semper Fi Fund, which provides immediate financial support for injured and critically ill members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. To date, the charity has provided 55,000 grants, helped 9,100 service members and raised $72 million.
•MARSOC Foundation, which was established in 2011, to provide benevolent support to active duty and medically retired MARSOC personnel and their families, as well as to the families of Marines who lost their lives in service to the United States of America. To date, they have delivered over $81,000 in assistance.
•Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships to the children of Marine and Navy Corpsmen attending accredited community colleges, universities, and vocational/technical institutions with particular attention given to those with a parent who was killed or wounded in action, or who have demonstrated financial need.
Part of the excitement surrounding the celebration of the U.S. Marine Corps, will be an exclusive tour of Camp Pendleton, the Corps’s largest West Coast expeditionary training facility. The tour will leave the St. Regis Monarch Beach and follow the historic Basilone Road, which is not open to civilian traffic, and wind its way through the 125,000-acre training facility and end at Camp Pendleton. At the base camp, tour members will be treated to a full-day of activities including a rare opportunity to cruise through the base, enjoy lunch at the School of Infantry (SOI – West) mess hall, and end the day with a private dining experience at the respected Pacific Views Event Center.
“The Rallye Basilone Historic Tour will be one of this year’s most talked about events,” continued Spellens. “We’re honored Camp Pendleton is opening their training facility to our tour members. It will be an experience many civilians will never have a chance to witness.”
To purchase tickets for the week’s events, please visit www.danapointconcours.org. Complimentary tickets to Sunday’s Concours are available for active military and DOD personnel, as well as $15 tickets for their family.
About Orange County Collector Car and Motorcycle Week
The Orange County Collector Car and Motorcycle Week has evolved into Southern California’s premier celebration of the region’s automotive heritage. Attracting thousands of enthusiasts from across the country each year, the multi-day event offers an exceptional showcase of parties, tours, art exhibits and of course, Sunday’s marquee event, the Dana Point Concours d’Elegance. The event is presented primarily with Full Classic® Cars from the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA), and other non-classic classes. The Concours is also a volunteer-run, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and a percentage of the 2013 event’s proceeds will be directed to the Semper Fi Fund, MARSOC Foundation and the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. To learn more, please visit www.danapointconcours.org. Information can also be found on Facebook and Twitter (@DPointConcours).