Charity
Racing helps locate missing child
Sonoma, CA - As a direct result of leads attributed to the exposure generated by Grand Sport Racing and Don Sak Motorsports, a missing child has been located. Tori Wollingur was reunited with her father on the evening of July 19, 2001, less than a ...
Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM
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Sonoma, CA - As a direct result of leads attributed to the exposure generated by Grand Sport Racing and Don Sak Motorsports, a missing child has been located. Tori Wollingur was reunited with her father on the evening of July 19, 2001, less than a month after her image was featured on the dashboard of the #08 Grand Sport Racing Corvette C5 driven by Don Sak in the Speedvision World Challenge GT race on Belle Isle, June 17. Her image was also featured on the hood of his #10 Trans Am car for the event. Don Sak and his son Bobby Saks racecars received the attention of many local and national media outlets. The unique publicity resulted in new leads in the case.
"We couldnt be happier," said Bobby Sak. "We had high hopes that this program would help these children, but to achieve real results in such a short time is better than anyone could have imagined. It is such a good feeling to know that were not just showcasing cars, going fast and having fun. Were making a difference and that makes it all worthwhile."
Don Sak Motorsports, in conjunction with Valvoline, initiated the program with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by featuring the photographs of missing children on all their racing vehicles for the remainder of the 2001 season. Bobby Sak, a series rookie in the Speedvision World Challenge GT Championship, joined his fathers effort by featuring a missing child on the #04 SVWC Grand Sport Racing Corvette C5. Both drivers decided to give up the hood and dashboard space, considered the most prime sponsorship positioning on a race car, in order to assist various law enforcement officials and child abduction search and return organizations. Becoming a grandfather changed Dons feelings about his priorities.
"You really dont know how important the issue is until you personalize it," states Don Sak. "I wasnt aware of the missing children issue until one day I began to think about my grandchild and what I would do if he ever came up missing."
Both Bobby and Don are featuring another child during the Sears Point event, July 22 in Sonoma, CA. Amber Jean Swartz-Garcia has been missing since June 3, 1988. Her image will be on Dons #10 Trans Am Camaro and Bobbys #04 SVWC Corvette. Her mother, Kim Swartz, is active with the National Center, tirelessly searching for her daughter as well as helping other parents.
Safeway Stores has provided Kim Swartz with two digital fingerprinting machines for use Saturday and Sunday during the event so parents can have their kids fingerprinted with an inkless system at no cost.
-GSR
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