TGen News & Press Releases

• Written by Steve Yozwiak /
• Posted Friday March 25, 2011

Sale of sports car benefits TGen cancer fund named for Jackson family

40th anniversary Corvette sold at 40th anniversary Barrett-Jackson auction

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - March 25, 2011 - The Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale raised more than $250,000 for TGen cancer research, mostly through the sale - and resale - of a special 1993 Chevrolet Corvette coupe.

A collector car enthusiast, donated the 40th anniversary sports car (the first Corvette was made in 1953) to the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) so it could be sold Jan. 22 at Barrett-Jackson's 40th anniversary Scottsdale auction.

The Corvette was sold and donated back several times, raising more than $200,000 for the recently established Barrett-Jackson Cancer Research Fund at TGen in Memory of Russ and Brian Jackson. The fund is a salute to auction Chairman and CEO Craig Jackson's father, Russ, and brother, Brian, whose lives were cut short by colon cancer.

All told, more than $250,000 was raised during the Scottsdale auction for the new fund, mostly from the sale of the Corvette, but also individual donations.

An emotional Craig Jackson helped auction the Corvette. The final winning bidder plans to put the sports car back on the block at a future auction for the benefit of the TGen Foundation. Barrett-Jackson's next auction is April 7-9 in Palm Beach, Fla. In addition to Scottsdale and Palm Beach, Barrett-Jackson conducts collector car auctions in the summer in Orange County, Calif., and in the fall in Las Vegas, Nev.

"We plan to use all four of the Barrett-Jackson events to promote awareness and raise money to battle colon and prostate cancer," Jackson said. "As Barrett-Jackson has become a global company with fans worldwide, we're able to reach an enormous number of people. We plan on leveraging this forum to advance our fight against cancer. Together, we can make cancer a part of our history and not our future."

Nearly 300,000 Americans will learn this year that they have colon or prostate cancer, and nearly 50,000 will die from these diseases.

Dr. Jeffrey Trent, TGen's President and Research Director, said the involvement of Barrett-Jackson with TGen will make a significant difference in the non-profit biomedical research institute's ability to conduct its groundbreaking research.

"Craig came to me with a very specific goal of defeating colon cancer, and we will work hard to honor the memory of his family members whose lives were cut short by the disease," Dr. Trent said.

In total, Barrett-Jackson helped raise more than $4 million for 20 local and national charitable causes during its 40th Anniversary Scottsdale auction, Jan. 17-23 at WestWorld.

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About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2011, Barrett-Jackson Auction Company specializes in providing products and services to collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts worldwide. Named one of the top 100 "World's Most Ethical Companies" by Ethisphere Magazine in 2010, Barrett-Jackson produces "The World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions™" in Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Fla., Orange County, Calif. and Las Vegas. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance offering for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. Established in 1971, Barrett-Jackson is headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call (480) 421-6694.

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About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of translational research where investigators are able to unravel the genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is affiliated with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.

Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]