Dan Neve's 2010 Mustang Shelby GT500 leads Fall Cruise for a Cause in Wisconsin Dells
- Dec 6, 2011
"In January of 2010, when my wife and I received the call that she had breast cancer, I felt like I needed to do more than be the guy holding her hand," explained Neve. "My mother was diagnosed late in 2009, so now with two women in my life afflicted with this disease, I had to help." During the week Neve is the Operations Manager for Staab Construction Corporation, weekends and vacations though he becomes a road-warrior in his Shelby GT, raising attention and money to help find a cure for breast cancer. "For the past two years I have used my vacation and most of my weekends getting to car events and in front of people with the car," Neve told K&N News. I work in the construction industry and of course summer is car show season, so at times it seems like I have two fulltime jobs. The car is never on a trailer because that kind of defeats the point of using it to get attention. Whether at a gas station in my hometown, or away traveling to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the Mid America Ford Nationals, people will come over and talk and say thanks."
As a member of the Wisconsin SVTOA (Special Vehicle Team Owners Association), Neve decided to create a joint event with the Twin Cities chapter of Minnesota in Wisconsin Dells. "That was eight years ago and I have been organizing the event ever since," he says. "But when I started my efforts in this fight I changed the name to Fall Cruise for a Cause in the Dells. The last two years we have been fortunate to have some prominent guest speakers. Last year we had John Clor (Ford Performance) and retired Green Bay Packer, Leroy Butler. This year we were honored with Kenny Brown at the event. The weekend consists of a Friday night get-together, a Saturday morning 60 to 70 mile cruise through the scenic back roads. Then there's an afternoon miniature golf tournament with an evening banquet, with the guest speakers, along with prizes and awards. Each year it has grown and hopefully that it continues."
At first the Shelby drew enough attention on its own, but Neve says he also wanted to grab the attention of those people that weren't car enthusiasts by adding pink. So he contacted Fords Warriors in Pink program to get permission to use their logo. Neve explains, "I knew that I would take the car to shows and events, so I began to contact businesses for their support in this fight and for financial donations, and then I added their logo to the car and it of course it turned pink. With pink added to the car my first big event was the 2010 SVT Superfest at Virgina International Raceway. With the support of SVTOA and Ford we offered charity rides on track with Ford drivers and all donations went to the Susan G Komen charity." Neve and his car have covered over 20,000 miles in the first two years on their mission to fight and save as many lives as possible. "When Ford announced that they would like me to display the car at the 2010 SEMA I jumped at the chance. That is when vendors like K&N offered to support the car in product. K&N has also provided gift certificates for those buying raffle tickets as possible prizes to win. All the money raised with the sale of the raffle tickets was donated and it made a huge difference. Car enthusiasts are a special group of people and care for others a lot."
Neve has raised nearly $24,000 and he estimates that hundreds of thousands of have seen his pink trimmed, logo adorned Shelby. "Having those who have been personally impacted by not only breast cancer, but many other forms of cancer, come up to me and shake my hand and give me a hug for doing what I'm doing is incredible," adds Neve. "I tell people that I grew up knowing someone with polio, and today I don't know of one person with that disease and my dream is for my grandson to say the same thing about cancer when he grows up. What a great day that will be! Now that we have just finished year two of the Cruise for a Cause, and now with the addition of my mother-in-law as the newest women in my family to be diagnosed, this ride is not over and will go on as long as I can make a difference for others and find support." Neve says he's looking forward to more road trips and making an even greater impact in 2012. "I want to make a difference and travel is not cheap and all the money I raise is donated. So with the cost of fuel, tires, maintenance and food and lodging, well it all adds up. I'm hoping by getting the word out other companies will jump on board so this journey can continue." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
