A participant in the upcoming Breast Cancer 3-Day walk in Seattle, Washington has come up with a novel way to raise funds: she will sell a pink street sweeper at an unreserved auction in Olympia and put half the proceeds towards her team’s fundraising efforts. Tina McDonough, the owner of One.7, Inc., the largest used sweeper dealer in the U.S., will sell the pink 2001 Elgin/Freightliner FL70 S/A street sweeper at an unreserved public auction being conducted by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (www.rbauction.com) in Olympia on June 17 & 18, 2009. Ritchie Bros. will also donate its commission and any additional fees from the street sweeper’s sale to the breast cancer fundraiser.
“I lost one of my friends to breast cancer,” said Ms. McDonough. “I can’t bring her back, but I can raise funds to help find a cure for breast cancer. I walked the 3-Day for the first time in 2007 to honor Michelle while she battled this disease. After she passed away, I decided enough is enough. So I formed a team to walk again in 2008. Together we raised $115,000 for the cure. We want to do more this year, so we decided to paint and sell one of the sweepers from our fleet to raise awareness and more funds towards a cure for breast cancer.”
The pink 2001 Freightliner/Elgin street sweeper will be sold on Thursday, June 18 as part of a two-day, unreserved public auction at the Ritchie Bros. auction site in Olympia. The sweeper will be sold to the highest bidder on auction day, with no minimum bids or reserve prices. If the highest bidder is a U.S. taxpayer, they will receive a charitable donation receipt for 50 percent of their winning bid.
“We’re pleased to be supporting Tina and her fundraising efforts,” said Rob Giroux, Ritchie Bros. Regional Manager. “One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Chances are, we all know someone who has been impacted by this disease. Tina’s commitment and drive are an inspiration.”
The June 17 & 18 auction at the Ritchie Bros. site in Olympia includes more than 1,600 other heavy equipment items and trucks. For more information about the auction and the pink street sweeper, go to www.rbauction.com.
HOW TO BID ON THE ELGIN STREET SWEEPER Auction location: Ritchie Bros. auction site, 13232 Case Road SW, Olympia, WA Street sweeper will be sold: Thursday, June 18, 2009 (Day Two of a two-day auction) Registration to bid is free and open to the public. How to bid: – In person at the Olympia auction site – register at the site (photo I.D. required) – Online in real time – register online several days in advance at www.rbauction.com/onlinebidding – By proxy – phone the auction site to place a bid prior to the sale (1.360.956.1500)
The Breast Cancer 3-Day is a 60-mile walk benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Tina McDonough is a member of the team “Valley Girls and Guys,” which will participate in the September 2009 walk in Seattle. Find out more at www.the3day.org.