Masters’ fund-raising effort for Help for Heroes announced
Masters Historic Racing has pledged its support to Help for Heroes, through a major fund-raising effort.
The immensely important work of the rapidly developing UK Armed Services support charity, Help for Heroes, will be the beneficiary of a major fund-raising effort among the historic motorsport community, spearheaded by Masters Historic Racing.
The scheme will make Help for Heroes the special charity focus at the first major UK historic motor sport festival of 2009, the Masters Classic at Donington, on May 9/10. The two days of fund-raising for Help for Heroes will include a percentage of the ticket receipts, programme and trackside advertising, and of all other commercial sales at the event, as well as public collections and fund-raising initiatives amongst the drivers themselves.
In addition to announcing its support for the Help for Heroes charity, Masters Historic Racing confirmed it would welcome all current serving members of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces to Donington Park by offering them free admission on production of an official ID card. There will also be special hospitality facilities laid on for those visiting servicemen currently on recuperation leave back in the UK, or actually resident at Headley Court. Members of the public from across the East Midlands will have a unique opportunity to not only enjoy the beautiful and rare racing cars from four decades of the sport, but also to show their support for those defending our nation and serving in the forces.
In its short 17-month existence, Help for Heroes has managed to raise no less than £17m but the charity’s Chief Executive, Bryn Parry, isn’t taking anything for granted. “In the current economic climate we need to work even harder to reach our targets and are therefore enormously grateful to the Masters for presenting us with a totally new fund-raising opportunity that is bound to capture the public’s imagination and support. In addition to the obvious benefit to Help for Heroes, we applaud the initiative to offer all of our brave servicemen and women free entry into the event.”
Masters Historic Racing is Europe’s leading organiser and promoter of historic motor racing and the Masters Classic at Donington will be the first major international historic event of the season. The event brings together Grand Prix cars of the 1970s, sports cars from the 60s and 70s plus touring cars and a mouth-watering grid of 1960s GT cars.
Masters series director, Christopher Tate, said: “We are thrilled to be able to work with Help for Heroes at the Masters Classic at Donington. The superb work of the armed forces has been thrust into the public conscience recently and we admire their work as much as their families’ stoicism. Our new relationship will take Help for Heroes to a new and wide audience and we trust that everyone will dig deep for a very worthy cause.”
Masters Historic Racing will be launching its new season of racing, and its link with Help for Heroes, at Race Retro on March 13th. Visitors to Masters’ stand are encouraged to join the fund-raising initiative at Race Retro.
