On December 12, 2020, David and Charlyn Veracka representing the entire Rockstar Harley-Davidson family, presented a check for $50,000 to local children’s charities that are beneficiaries of the annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational golf tournament, now in its 24th year.
Two years ago, the Veracka family added Rockstar Harley-Davidson, formerly Six Bends Harley-Davidson, a mega 54,000 sq. ft. motorcycle destination located off of I-75 and Daniels, to their growing list of motorcycle dealerships across the country. They have since purchased a home in Fort Myers and look forward to getting more involved in the Southwest Florida community.
“We love children and enjoy supporting the community where we live, work and play,” said David and Charlyn Veracka. “Our family and the Harley-Davidson family feel it’s our responsibility to give back to our community and those in most need.”
In 2020, many fundraising events were canceled due to the pandemic, which has placed a huge financial burden on local non-profits who rely on those funds to provide much needed services in our community.
“Organizers thought long and hard about canceling the Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational for the first time in two decades because of the pandemic but quickly realized that it was more important than ever to go forward with the event,” says Scott Fischer, owner of Scott Fischer Enterprises and co-host of the event. “Non-profits need our help more than ever and we can’t let them down.”
Thanks to the generosity of Rockstar Harley-Davidson, sponsors, and golfers, the 24th Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational will go on as planned to provide essential funding to Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida to feed food insufficient children on the weekends throughout the school year; Paul Sands Memorial REIS Scholarship Fund at Florida Gulf Coast University to providing scholarships to those seeking a Real Estate degree; and Stockings 4 Kids who will provide stockings of toys for kids who would otherwise not receive them. In addition, a portion of Rockstar Harley-Davidson’s donation will support Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida to educate and mentor K-12 students on work readiness.
Here are how these charities will put these funds to work right here in our community.
“With COVID-19 leaving many families financially disrupted and facing food insecurity, this generous donation by the Veracka Family at Rockstar Harley-Davidson will help us provide over 25,080 meals and couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Executive Director Blessings in a Backpack SWFL Cecilia St. Arnold. “It’s heartbreaking to see so many children in Southwest Florida that normally would not be in our program, now on waiting list to receive food.”
“This generous donation will help our goal of reaching 20,000 students during the 2020-2021 school year and provide them with valuable career and work readiness programs that are needed more than ever before,” said Angela Fisher, president, and CEO of Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida. “We are so thankful to Rockstar Harley-Davidson for entrusting us with this investment that will further JA’s impact on our region’s next generation of business leaders.”
“Thanks to this donation we are able to provide 100 beautiful Christmas stockings stuffed with fun toys and a warm teddy bear for less fortunate children right here in our own backyard,” said Lee Knapp, founder of Stockings 4 Children.
“Thanks to this donation, three FGCU students pursuing an education and career in Real Estate will receive financial support they need from the Paul Sands Memorial Scholarship Fund,” said Lisa Sands, organizer of the Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational and Broker at VIP Realty.
The 24th Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational is sold out again this year. For more information about the Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational or how you may support one of these local children’s charities, contact Lisa Sands at lsands@VIPrealty.com.
