"How did you get involved with Mecum?"

That is the question everyone asks when they encounter the partnership betwixt Mecum and Curing Kids Cancer and the way the whole Mecum company and its customers—non just the Mecum family unit—take adopted our organization. So, hither it is.

I founded the clemency in 2005 afterward we lost ane of our twin sons, Killian, to leukemia when he was merely 9 years sometime. At that place was a brand new drug that could take saved his life, simply the doctors didn't have the funding to get it out of the lab and into treatment. We took Killian domicile, and he passed abroad three weeks later. After nosotros lost Killian, I knew that at that place were other children out there who needed these new drugs, and I became determined non to permit other families go through what our family unit went through. Then, I founded Curing Kids Cancer with the goal of raising money for childhood cancer research.

In 2011, I got a call out of the bluish to say that a custom-congenital motorcycle from the television show "Café Racer" was being donated to CKC. My first reaction was: what on earth do we do with a motorcycle? However, that problem was easily solved past the "Café Racer" producer, who suggested that we consign information technology with Mecum Auctions. Mecum kindly agreed to sell the motorcycle for the states without charging the usual fees.

At the Mecum Kissimmee Sale in 2011, where it was decided to offering the cycle, Dana Mecum agreed to permit me say a few words about the charity earlier the motorbike was sold. I then watched in absolute awe as the bids poured in, and it ultimately hammered at $35,000. Amazingly, Dana Mecum decided to add an extra $10,000 to top it off. In a matter of seconds, we had raised $45,000, and all nosotros'd had to do was tell people about the charity and our mission. I was utterly amazed by the whole experience and the wonderful "World of Mecum."

Information technology didn't take me long to realize that I actually needed to talk to Dana about partnering with Mecum on a more regular ground. Luckily, I had become very skillful friends with the couple who bought the motorcycle, and they just happened to be two of Dana'due south best customers at that fourth dimension. After explaining to them my intentions, they agreed to introduce me to Dana personally.

It was now 2012, and the couple, my expert friends, were going to the Gone Farmin' Auction in Wisconsin where they took me along to meet Dana.

Non simply did I encounter Dana, but I was able to have dinner with him and his wonderful wife, Patti, and their son, Frank. During the repast, I told them all nearly Killian and why I had started the charity, how much coin we had raised so far, what we were using the money to practice and how everything was prepare. Dana loved that we were such a minor organization making such a large deviation even back then, and Patti and I had a lot in common too, both of u.s.a. mothers to 4 sons. All of them were very interested in the fact that I wanted to focus all of my efforts on research, and that I was building relationships with all the doctors whose piece of work we were funding instead of merely handing over a cheque.

Finally, at the end of dinner, Dana asked the crucial question: "Why should I partner with just 1 charity when so many are asking me for help all the time?" The reply seemed obvious to me—I didn't even have to remember almost it. I asked Dana if he really wanted to make a divergence with his philanthropy, and he said he did. I told him that if that was what he wanted, then he needed to pick one cause that he believed in and make information technology his only crusade, because that would be the but manner to accept a significant touch and make a difference. Then I explained that if he had one crusade that he adopted wholeheartedly, he could tell all the other charities, and they would sympathise and respect his dedication to his chosen cause.

I could run into Dana's expression soften as he thought about what I said. He knew information technology was what he wanted to do, so after mulling it over for a moment, he decided that a partnership betwixt Mecum and CKC was an excellent idea.

Later that, things moved apace. Dana and Frank came upward with the idea of giving away a limited-edition neon sign or clock autographed past Dana or Frank to whoever bid the highest amount as a donation to the charity each day of every sale. Now, the head auctioneer Mark Delzell stops the sale each mean solar day at effectually 1 p.g., and I am given the opportunity to speak for a couple of minutes nearly why CKC raises money and what we do with that money.

Our partnership began in August of 2012, and since then, Mecum customers have donated the astonishing corporeality of more than than $vii million to Curing Kids Cancer. Not only did Dana, Frank and the Mecum family adopt CKC as their clemency of option, simply the unabridged Mecum staff, Mecum partners, and of course, the wonderful customers take completely adopted us too.

We are blest to be office of the extended Mecum family, and they are office of our CKC family unit. Our partnership manager, Mikaela, and I travel to every sale, including the Mecum Gone Farmin' and vintage motorcycle auctions. We bring forth children who are battling cancer and their families to each auction we can. The children are treated like family by all the staff and customers, which they absolutely dearest, and it brings a fleck of joy to their lives at a time when there is very piffling else that does. Nosotros also bring anyone who wants to join u.s.a. to visit the hospitals where we fund research, so they tin come across our doctors and hear about the life-saving inquiry and treatments that their donations are funding.

When Dana adopted CKC as the Mecum charity, I was the only one who was a full-time member of the CKC staff, and I had two people helping me part time. I still have to pinch myself every time I walk into an auction, because to me, it is truly a phenomenon that nosotros take become such an integral part of Mecum Auctions. The charity now has brought in a full of more $17 million since I started raising money at my kitchen table in 2005, and that would never have been possible without Mecum on our side.

When I began fundraising, I said I would exist happy if we were able to aid relieve 1 kid's life with the coin we raised. Now, together, CKC, Mecum and their customers are helping our doctors save lives every day by creating little miracles. Children who would not have otherwise made it are surviving and, in the best cases, even thriving cheers to the continued support of our generous donors and partners. Information technology's been a fulfilling few years to say the least, and we're looking forward to many more to come.