Several members of the 49ers organization spent a day surrounded by elegance at the 55th annual Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance car show at the Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame on August 28th. Those in attendance included 49ers Owner and Co-Chair John York and tight end Delanie Walker, as well as 49ers alumni Guy McIntyre and Dennis Brown.
For the third 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.
"We love this event," said Joanne Pasternack, the Executive Director of the 49ers Foundation. "We have been a part of the Concours for the past three years and we always enjoy attending, especially since it supports the 49ers Foundation and our mission. Through the leadership of the York family, the entire 49ers organization is very supportive of the work that we do in the community, including attending today's event."
York, who is a big car enthusiast, spent the day mingling with fans and surveying the large collection of classic cars.
"This car show has been around for more than 50 years, so just to be a part of the tradition and history is terrific," York said. "The fans in Hillsborough have been very supportive of the 49ers Foundation, with our mission to keep kids 'Safe, on Track, and in School.'"
A pre-event reception hosted by Kern's Fine Jewelry kicked off the fundraising a few days prior to the car show. Among the auction items featured at the event were a VIP game day experience provided by the 49ers and a round of golf with 49ers alumni Joe Montana and Keena Turner.
"Last year we raised around $46,000 at our pre-event reception and we wanted to expand on that, so we had a fundraising party up at The French Club in San Francisco featuring racecar driver Dario Franchitti," said Eric Mendell of Kern's Fine Jewelry. "We had a tremendous live auction, gourmet dinner, great wines and just a great time—the energy was fantastic."
John York was one of the guests who attended the fundraising party, which proved to be a great success, raising nearly $100k in one night.
"The dinner was absolutely fantastic, the attendees were fun and there was entertainment all night," York said. "People were getting up and making additions to the auction items and it was just thrilling. The wines were great, the food was great, and the fact that so much money was raised was unbelievable."
The 49ers also brought increased visibility to the Concours, with alums McIntyre and Brown and Walker signing autographs and interacting with the crowd throughout the day. Walker, who enjoys muscle cars, had a great time checking out the cars for a good cause.
"All these cars are beautiful, nice classic cars," Walker said. "I'm just happy to be here to see it and to pick some of these guys' brains and see how they carried forth in making these cars look the way they do. I think everybody here wins today."
The featured marquees were the fast, rare and elegant French Bugatti, and the powerful and beautiful American Packard. Over 40 Packards and Bugattis graced the green, representing the finest in craftsmanship and design, while also serving as benchmarks in innovation, speed, and utility.
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 28 years, as well as serving 12 years with the 49ers Foundation, the event proves is a favorite of his every year.
"What I really enjoy is viewing all of these fabulous cars, getting them all in one place at this beautiful setting, and raising money for 49ers Foundation at the same time," said Gersch. "This brings the town together while having a sense of the community."
The San Francisco 49ers Foundation is the non-profit community funding extension of the San Francisco 49ers. Now in its 19th year, the 49ers Foundation supports development programs for underserved youth that keep them "Safe, On Track and In School." Through the leadership of 49ers team owners Denise and John York, the 49ers Foundation has donated more than $10 million over the last eight years to non-profits throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
