On Labor Day, September 6, 2010, Mercy Childrens Clinic in Franklin, TN held the 32nd annual Franklin Classic, with proceeds from the fundraiser benefiting their clinical services. Mercy Clinic is a “comprehensive pediatric healthcare facility that serves thousands of children from 32 counties”, according to Event Director Jessica Perry. The clinic has been operating in the Franklin Community since 1999 and, as a non-profit organization, relies on fundraising events, such as the Franklin Classic, to keep its facilities open.

Events at the Franklin Classic included a 5k run, a 10k run, a 4k family walk, and a 1k childrens run. The 5k race winner was Donald Bowman, with a total time of 17:28. Jacob Carrigan placed second with a time of 17:45, and David Scott came in a close third at 17:55. In the 10k race, Scott Wietecha finished first with a time of 32:12. Additionally, there were activities for children in the KidZone, and Scat Springs performed live at the Classic.

The Franklin Classic is Mercy Clinics “largest fundraising effort With an annual budget of nearly $3 million, 50% of which is raised through sponsors and donations, we’re hoping to raise $100,000 through this years event”, according to the Franklin Classic event guide. Official figures will not be out for a few weeks. The number of race runners and walkers totaled over 3,000 and Perry estimates there were additional 3,000-5,000 spectators at the event Monday morning.

Darrell Waltrip Automotive helped the clinic by donating $20 per test drive during the two registration days of September 3rd and 4th. The test drives took race participants and volunteers around a short route, and were met with much enthusiasm.

Darrell Waltrip Automotive donated over $2,000 to Mercy Clinic from the two days of test drives. In total, Darrell Waltrip Automotive donated $12,000 to benefit Mercy Clinic through sponsorships and other miscellaneous donations, including a $500 cash prize to the school that put together the largest team for the Franklin Classic. See Franklin Classic for more information and photos on the fundraising event.

Your cars plastic bumpers dont always need replacement when minor damage crop up such as scuffs and scratches. Repairing these scuffs and scratches are not as difficult as you imagined or as complicated as fixing up scratches on sheet metal that are likely to form rust.

Save time, money and effort repairing your damaged bumper with these simple and convenient steps:

Materials Needed:
Automotive Clear Coat
Automotive Paint
Automotive Primer
Dish Soap
Grease and Wax Remover
Paper Towels
Sand Paper

Step 1:Clean the scratched area with dish soap to get rid of any wax or dust particles on the surface. Use a piece of cloth enfolded around a finger to get hold of the scratches and scuffs. Wash the soap entirely and pat dry the surface using paper towels before proceeding to the next step.

Step 2:Check the intensity of the scratches and scuffs. Run your fingernail tip across the scratch and if it can hold the rut, this means that the scratch is deep, otherwise, the scratch is shallow.

Step 3:Polish the scratch with 120-grit sandpaper until it becomes smooth, even and free from tough edges. Bear in mind that plastics are softer than metal so ensure not to sand too much in one spot to avoid having a low part on the surface.

Step 4:Spray about two light coats of automotive primer on the polished spot. Wait for about 30 minutes allowing the coat of primer to dry.

Step 5:Polish the automotive primer evenly with 300-grit sandpaper until it becomes soft to touch. Swab the spot with grease and wax remover to take away oil and dust elements.

Step 6: While holding the spray can about eight inches away from the exterior, spray two to three lean coats of automotive paint straight on the scratch. Let each coat dry for 30 minutes prior to applying the next coat.

Step 7:Using the same procedures as with spraying the paint, apply two coats of automotive clear coat. Let the automotive clear coat dry completely which takes up to 24 hours before attempting to drive the car.

Getting rid of the scuffs and scratches from your cars plastic bumper can be costly especially when the job is done at a professional auto care clinic. However, you can save a lot if you do the repair yourself.

Counterfeiting is such a menace that even the Federal Bureau of Investigation has termed it the crime of the 21st century. If you dont believe this, perhaps some number crunching can shed some light on the kind of hazards that this activity creates for automotive businesses worldwide. For example, the global automotive parts industry suffers losses pegged as high as $12 billion a year, $3 billion of which is in the U.S. The total global counterfeit market is pegged at a whopping $350 billion. The Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), realizing the grave situation of counterfeits affecting its businesses, formed the Brand Protection council to take matters of fake counterfeit products in the automobile sector seriously.

What are fake automotive parts? How does one distinguish them from the originals?

Some counterfeits are simply imitations of real automotive parts and look exactly like the original so as to fool the buyer into believing that they are buying the original. Other times, fake or counterfeit automotive parts are simply packaged to look like the original. Counterfeiters often utilize the same brand image, colors and font sizes to ensure that the packaging looks similar to that of the real product. Some of the most common counterfeit automotive parts are things like fan belts, spark plugs, engine mountings, wheel covers, alloy wheels, air filters, fuel filters and oil filters. Sometimes the products carry the logo of the original. Other times counterfeiters simply use outdated parts that have been thrown out by the original company or dealer, renew them with some work and sell them again in the grey market.

There are many problems associated with fake automotive parts.

Such grey market products affect the brand and the reputation of the original manufacturer. Despite being made to look like the original, these products are not the original product. Even though they may be sold at perhaps 1/4th of the original price, the worth is much less than the real product. The safety of your vehicle could be compromised, and it could have many different kinds of problems, from part failure to higher fuel consumption to higher levels of pollution. The most pressing problem with using fakes is that, while you might feel you have gotten a great deal in terms of price, you will never get the intended effect that the original product can offer. In terms of quality and durability, you will always be at a loss if you opt for counterfeit products.