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‘We wanted to do something a bit more fun than just a car show’
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For some, taking a mental health break comes in the form of walking, writing or even picking up a musical instrument.
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For guys like Brad Burgess, co-founder of local car detailing company Proper PPF, stress relief comes when he’s taking corners at 180 kilometres per hour in his new bright green Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0.
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That same need for speed was the inspiration for his decision to host the first Proper PPF Charity Track Day — in support of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health and their emerging adults program — at the new Rocky Mountain Motorsports facility just north of Calgary.
“We wanted to do something a bit more fun than just a car show, parking cars and sitting around chatting,” Burgess said about his idea to put together the event.
“These high-performance cars can outperform anything that can be found on the streets, so this is a place where you can come and push your car safely — and raise money for a great cause,” he said.
All proceeds from the event will go towards helping people at The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience, which opened its doors to children, teenagers and families on March 13. The centre is expected to support about 8,000 more patients and their families every year.
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For car enthusiasts like Cory Nickerson, who came out to test the limits of his Audi, attending the first Charity Track Day was a simple decision.
“Brad (and Ben Tilden, co-founder of Proper PPF) are just such great people. It’s amazing to see how they not only give back to the car community but they also want to give back to the community at large, too.”
“This is very special,” said Robbie Graham of his first time on the track. Graham said he was able to live out a childhood dream of driving his favourite car on the track, and “because of some very good people in my life, I’m allowed to drive it.”
“I enjoyed it and I think everyone else did,” Burgess said, before hinting that the event may become an annual occurrence.
“Put my name on the list,” Graham added. “I’ll be here … as long as I have a car to drive.”
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