...And The Winning Bid For The Signature Corvette Is...$76,312.00
August 13, 2002Bidding was Fast and Furious in Auction of One-of-a-Kind Corvette Signature Car to Benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation®
Salt Lake City, Utah, GM Dealer Jerry Seiner Drives Home the Prize
August 13, 2002 - The Chevrolet Corvette Signature Car - signed by more than 500 celebrities, dignitaries and athletes, including film and television stars, Olympians and community leaders, during the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games - is now helping to make dreams a reality for children with life-threatening illnesses.
This one-of-a-kind, collectible car was sold on eBay Motors (www.ebaymotors.com) Aug. 8, with all proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.
Jerry Seiner, "The GM Guy," president and owner of three General Motors (GM) dealerships in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area, representing Chevrolet, Cadillac, Hummer, Buick, GMC, Pontiac and Oldsmobile, won the car with a bid of $76,312.00. All proceeds will benefit the Foundation and will be used to grant wishes for courageous children all across the nation.
Bidding on the Web site, July 29 to Aug. 8, hovered around $60,000 most of the week. However, with just 60 seconds left, the bidding action became fast and furious - between Seiner and another GM dealer - elevating the winning bid by another 25 percent.
The car will be displayed in Seiner's Chevrolet-Oldsmobile-Cadillac-Hummer dealership, which opened in October 2001. Billed as a "First-of-a-Kind Auto Dealership," the location features a 7,000-square-foot restaurant, "The GM Guy Café," and houses an extensive automotive memorabilia collection. Displaying 1,500 items, it includes a '57 Chevrolet Bel Air, a '67 Corvette... and soon the Corvette Signature Car.
Seiner first saw the car when it was displayed at his dealership during the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic Games. At a celebration during the Olympic Games, the car was signed by luminaries including Miss America 2002 Katie Harman, who also greeted local Make-A-Wish children.
"The Corvette Signature Car will be the focal point of our automotive collection," says Seiner. "I had the opportunity to meet Miss America," he laughs. "I own one of the most unique pieces of automotive memorabilia in the world and participating in the auction helped a lot of really special kids through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. What could be better?"
"We were delighted to have had this fund-raising opportunity," says Paula Van Ness, president and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. "This unique blending of industry and charity is a shining example of the American spirit and embodies the unity represented by the Olympic Games."
Chevrolet, a presenting sponsor of the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Torch Relay, donated the car to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. During the Relay, Dec. 4, 2001 to Feb. 8, 2002, the Corvette Signature Car embarked on a 13,000-mile journey across the nation, stopping in cities along the route just days before the arrival of the Torch itself.
Other people of note who signed the car at celebrations hosted by participating Chevrolet dealerships included actor Martin Sheen, star of The West Wing; Good Morning America's Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson; GM's President and CEO, Rick Wagoner; actor Alan Arkin; former basketball great Julius "Dr. J" Irving; singer Donny Osmond; the Beach Boys' Mike Love and Al Jardine; actress Cheryl Ladd; actor Adam West, who portrayed Batman on the classic TV series; singer Huey Lewis; University of Georgia Athletic Director Vince Dooley; country stars Billy Gilman and David Ball; legendary country crooner Glen Campbell; former San Francisco Giant and Baseball Hall of Famer first baseman Willie McCovey; Larry Coker, head coach of the University of Miami's football team, the Hurricanes; basketball legend Oscar Robinson; Olympic Medalists Bob Beamon, Amy Van Dyken, Michael Phelps and Tom Dolan; and famed Olympian and TV spokesperson Suzy "Chapstick" Chaffey.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. It is the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 79 chapters in the United States and its territories and 23 international affiliates spanning five continents. Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted more than 97,000 wishes to children around the world.
