With Hands Off My Ram, it’s all about local support for Chatham Chrysler.
With the assistance of The Chatham Voice, 99.1 CKXS and 94.3 CKSY, the dealership will give away a one-year lease on a 2016 Ram 1500 Crew Cab 4×4 to a lucky local citizen Sept. 17.
Organizers will pull 40 names of qualifiers to put their hands on the truck Sept. 16 and 17. The last person with a hand on the vehicle wins the lease for a year.
In the process, participants raise funds for four local charities, Big Brothers Big Sisters, St. Vincent de Paul, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the local branch of the Downs Syndrome Foundation.
Event organizer Wendy Bloomfield said last year, the eighth Hands Off fundraiser for Chatham Chrysler, raised about $15,000 for the charities, with the winner walking away with a lease of a Jeep Cherokee for a year.
“We’re doing a Ram this year, so it should be the biggest ever,” she said.
Anyone interested in taking part can fill out a ballot to enter at Chatham Chrysler, listen to the local radio stations starting in mid-August for a chance to call in to qualify, or visit our Facebook page from Aug. 15 to 26 and follow our directions on how to qualify.
Dave Tessier, dealer principal for Chatham Chrysler, said he and dealership staff really enjoy putting on the event each year.
“This is a great way of raising goods and funds for local charities,” he said. “It creates a lot of buzz. Everyone really gets involved. They put their heart and soul into it. It’s also great for staff morale here.
Bloomfield agreed.
“It’s fun. It helps all the businesses who help us, and of course the charities we support,” she said.
Businesses donate prizes to encourage participants to take their hands off the vehicle and still walk away a winner.
Matt Herder, head of new car sales for Chatham Chrysler, said the spontaneity of the event “astounds” organizers.
“Last year, we did a food drive on the fly, coming up with the idea the morning of the event. We collected $5,000 worth of food,” he said.
Herder added Hands Off is a taxing event, for participants, volunteers and staff, as it tends to last 24 hours or more.
“It’s an emotional rollercoaster. In the span of 15 minutes, you could be cheering someone on, and then holding someone else as they sob after they’ve fallen off the car,” he said.
Bloomfield agreed Hands Off can be tiring on the participants, but added she thinks they are getting stronger every year.
“Ten people were still on the car after 23 hours last year,” she said.
While the event is still very much in the planning stages, organizers hope to have a variety of entertainment for the participants and spectators who stop by to watch the action and cheer on friends or family.
