Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson recently accepted a $10,000 donation on behalf of The Rainbow Connection charity he founded from organizers of the 11th Annual "Quake on the Lake" Hydroplane Races on Pontiac Lake in Waterford and White Lake townships.
"I am very grateful to the good folks at 'Quake on the Lake' for their hard work and generosity," said Patterson. "The donation from this year's net proceeds will help make wishes come true for several children who are facing serious health challenges."
The $10,000 donation received from "Quake on the Lake" for The Rainbow Connection will help fund wishes for children with life threatening illnesses including this year's Wish Child, Christopher, an 11-year-old from Highland Township, whose wish is to travel to Hawaii.
"The Rainbow Connection's goal is to reach every child in Michigan who suffers from a life threatening illness and make their wishes come true," said Mary Grace McCarter, Rainbow's executive director. "The organizers of Quake on the Lake are true partners in this endeavor."
This year's event ran July 15-18. It featured a huge carnival as well as live stage performances by national recording artists The Tubes, Night Ranger and Mark Farner, former lead singer of Grand Funk Railroad. "Quake on the Lake" has become a "must attend" event for North American Inboard Hydroplane owners and drivers. More than 35,000 spectators attended the event.
"For 11 years now, 'Quake on the Lake's' success has been a result of the hard work and dedication of our Board of Directors, tireless hours from our wonderful volunteers, and the tremendous support of our generous sponsors and community business owners," said Dale Hampshire, chairman of the Oakland County Community Club, the event's producer.
The tradition will continue as plans are already underway for the 12th Annual "Quake on the Lake" which will feature the National Inboard Hydroplane Championships, the premier championship race in North America. Next year's event is a first for Michigan and organizers expect more than 150 race teams from across North America to attend which is the largest amount of teams in the history of the event. The dates are Saturday and Sunday, July 16-17, 2011.
For information, check out www.QuakeOnTheLake.org throughout the year.
This year's Quake on the Lake sponsors included: Fox 2 News Detroit, Budweiser, Royce Richards, Suburban Ford of Waterford, IBEW Local 58, Genisys Credit Union, NTA Graphics, Republic Services/Allied Waste of Michigan, Village Lakes and White Lake Marketplace, Alternative Automotive Technologies, Joe Lunghamer Chevrolet/Buick/GMC, Szott Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge, Health Plus of Michigan, U.S. Navy, STI, Mesquite Creek Steaks and Seafood in Clarkston, Oakland County, White Lake Township, Waterford Township, DTE Energy, Oakland County Parks and Recreation, GFS Marketplace, The Oakland Press, American Express, Slurpee-711, U.S. Army, and Hampton Inn of Auburn Hills.
Published: Thu, Oct 28, 2010
