CARSTAIRS - A fundraising event held at the Rocky Mountain Motorsports facility near Carstairs has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the victims of the Canada Day tornado, say officials.
Held on July 22, the RMM Tornado Relief Fundraiser saw a total of $30,122 raised to date, with more than 1,000 people attending.
The event included ride-along lapping in high performance cars with hundreds of laps made throughout the fine-weather day.
About 320 three-lap rides were taken, with people paying between $40 and $120 depending on the type of automobile.
There were also dozens of silent auction items donated by club members, local and provincial corporate sponsors, and individuals.
The most successful bid was $1,000 for a set of four tires from Continental Tires, followed by $900 for a 3.5 hour private on-track coaching session at RMM with chief instructor Max Ebenal.
“We expected a few hundred people might come out to show their support, but with over 1,000 people coming through the RMM front gate, we couldn’t be more thrilled with how it all came together,” said RMM president Dominic Young.
“We look forward to our contribution helping in whatever way possible for those still very much impacted by the tornado that came through the area on Canada Day.”
The funds raised will go to the Carstairs-Didsbury Tornado Relief Fund, he said.
"How that money gets allocated is really left up to them," he said.
Carstairs Fire Department personnel were in attendance during the day.
The tornado caused widespread damage to homes, farm buildings, equipment and vehicles when it ripped through rural properties north of Carstairs on the afternoon of July 1.
