Several members of the 49ers organization spent a day surrounded by elegance at the 56th annual Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance car show at the Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame on Sunday. Those in attendance included 49ers Co-Chairman Dr. John York, 49ers alumni J.J. Stokes, Dennis Brown, Frank Nunley, and Allan Kennedy, as well as members of the 49ers Foundation.
For the fourth consecutive year, the 49ers Foundation was selected as one of three beneficiaries to receive proceeds from the event, which is held annually to support local programs and charities that aid children and families in need. In addition to the 49ers Foundation, the Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance also benefits Autism Speaks and Hillsborough Schools Foundation.
"This is the fourth year that the 49ers Foundation has been a beneficiary of the Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance, along with the Hillsborough Schools Foundation and Autism Speaks," said Joanne Pasternack, Executive Director of Community Relations/49ers Foundation. "We are proud to be affiliated with this well regarded event and honored to be able to share the mission of the 49ers Foundation with the attendees. Not only has this been a successful event from a fundraising perspective – raising over $200,000 through the weekend's festivities – but it has also been a lot of fun. Cars, charity, and extremely friendly people – a great combination."
York, who is a big car enthusiast, spent the day mingling with fans and surveying the large collection of classic cars.
"The 49ers Foundation is almost 20 years old, and the mission of the 49ers Foundation is to keep kids 'Safe, On Track, and In School,'" said York. "We are very pleased that this is the fourth year we've been involved with the Hillsborough Concours and to be beneficiaries of this event. We very much hope to continue to do this with the Concours, as we've watched it grow over the last four years."
A pre-event reception hosted by Kern's Fine Jewelry kicked off the fundraising a few days prior to the car show.
49ers Foundation board member Seth Gersch, who is one of the chairs of the event, was very involved from start to finish in all of the organizational components of the event to help ensure its success. After being a part of the Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance tradition for 27 years, as well as serving 13 years with the 49ers Foundation, the event proves a favorite of his every year, especially as it raises so much for the community.
"It's always a guess at this point, but I think we may raise $200,000, maybe a little bit more," Gersch said. "We've already raised $130,000 for Concours. So, we're very optimistic. Concours is getting bigger, it's getting better. It's running better every year. So, it's really terrific to see."
The San Francisco 49ers Foundation is the non-profit community funding extension of the San Francisco 49ers. Now in its 20th year, the 49ers Foundation supports development programs for underserved youth that keep them, "Safe, On Track, and In School." Since its inception, the Foundation has donated over $18 million to support non-profits, including $2.4 million in 2011.
