The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d'Elegance
Charity
The Mission of Driving Young America is to:
1. Support the education, inspiration and creativity of youth who have an interest in the design, performance, restoration, safety and historical significance of the automobile
2. Give back to the Community by supporting youth oriented programs sponsored by organizations that provide significant resources critical to the success of the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d'Elegance.
What is Driving Young America (DYA)?
Driving Young America is a charitable fund established by the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance in 2007. Since 2001, the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance and DYA have contributed over $150,000 to automotive education and to youth programs sponsored by local Lowcountry organizations that help make the Festival a success.
What Does DYA Do?
Driving Young America supports, through scholarship awards, young people seeking an education to pursue a career in the automotive industry – design, engineering, performance, safety, service / repair, restoration, or historical preservation.
DYA supports educational institutions that provide special opportunities for young people entering this field through grants, scholarships, and special awards.
DYA supports local Lowcountry youth programs that are sponsored by various organizations that provide substantial support to each year’s events with volunteer manpower, facilities, and in-kind gifts and equipment.
How Does DYA Get Its Funding?
Funding is generated from Festival attendees, Exhibitors, special friends and through a variety of special events before, during, and after each year’s event.
Examples of Awardees?
PALM – Palmetto Advancement in Learning Motorsports – offers training and education to unskilled, unemployed, legal AT-RISK youth. They get their GED, training, and a job in the automotive field. PALM is a recent winner of a federal grant to train 40 similar students in automotive work.
Scholarships have been awarded to Central Piedmont Community College, individuals attending Clemson in automotive engineering, and a student in the automotive program at Technical College of the Lowcountry.
Youth programs of local community organizations that help make the Festival a success include the Youth Orchestra of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra ( over $50,000 in 9 years), Boys and Girls Club of HH (training space), Heroes on Horseback one of whose participants will be in the 2011Special Olympics for Equestrian Riding, HH High School Band (music on the field), Beaufort Memorial Hospital (on field first aid services and Fashion Show), St. Luke’s Children’s School (all volunteers managing and directing parking), HH Junior Leadership Program (facilities set up and tear down). It takes over 450 volunteers to present the event and these organizations are primary in making the event a success.
Who Manages This Fund?
Driving Young America is a “designated fund” of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry that provides investment and administrative services to over 200 Lowcountry charitable funds established by local individuals and organizations. Their service fees are less than 1.5% and their total expenses are less than 4.8% in 2010.
The DYA Advisory Board focuses on its mission, fundraising, and granting awards and scholarships for automotive oriented education and youth programs of local Lowcountry organizations that substantively help the Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance a success.
How Can You Participate?
You can help us “jump start” this year’s charitable program by joining the 25 other people who make a Leadership Gift to DYA by joining the Chauffer’s Society with your gift of $250 or more.
Join the many others who have contributed by either:
Send your check payable to Driving Young America Fund, Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, Box 21733, Hilton Head Island, SC 29925
Go to - www.cf-lowcountry.org – the website for the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry to learn more about this organization and to make a contribution with your credit card – click on “Donate Online”, and select Driving Young America in the drop down box
Contributors with donations of $250 or more will become members of the Chauffer's Society.
How to apply for funding:
To apply for community grants, click here. Applications from the 2011 Festival are due no later than February 2, 2012 in order to be considered.