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My Big Donation

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I never in a 1000 years would have thought that I would be in a position to do something like this.  I had a very good year last year, and this is my way of giving back. I am giving away my 1956 Buick Special to raise money for Big Brothers/Sisters of South Centrail IL. Someone once told me that this is a rare American classic, there were a limited amount of these made and not alot of them survived the years.  I will be selling raffel tickets June, July & Aug for $5.00 each.  We have to raise a minimum of  $10,000. before the car is given away, if we do not raise the minimum the money collected will turn into a 50/50 where the winner will get 50% & BBBS will get the other 50% of the money collected.  So everyone wins.  My goal is to raise $25,000. The drawing will be held at the Williamson Co Fair in Marion, IL. Aug 14, 2004. I plan to show the car as much as possible, when it is not being shown I will have it parked in front of Foley-Sweitzer Motors in Marion, IL.



This is a article that ran in July 2004.

A "Special" donation


Murray Berger, a salesman at Foley-Sweitzer Motors displays his 1956 Buick Special that he is raffling off to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Illinois. The car will be on display at Foley-Sweitzer until the drawing on August 14 and tickets are available there for $5 each or six for $25. (ERIC CHANEY PHOTO)
By Eric Chaney, Marion Daily Republican

MARION -- "No one can help everyone, but everyone can help someone," is one of Murray Berger's favorite sayings and he's practiced what he preaches during six years of serving as a Big Brother for Big Brothers-Big Sisters of South Central Illinois. "The trick is," he goes on to say, "to include your little brother or sister in the activities that are already planned."

Apparently giving a little time wasn't enough for Berger, so he's decided to help in a big way, by raffling off his classic 1956 Buick Special and donating all the proceeds to BBBSSCI.

"I had a big brother and now I am a big brother," said Berger. "And this is a chance to give something back to an organization that has given something to me, both then and now."

Berger, a car salesman at Foley-Sweitzer Motors, began thinking about donating after having a particularly good year with car sales and investments, but wanted to do something more than just write out a check.

"I wanted it to be something important to me instead of just giving them money," said Berger. "Money is easy to forget but giving away a car is something that will make people sit up and take notice. I guess I'm trying to donate some publicity to the organization as well."

The Buick is certainly something that's important to him. He knew as soon as he saw it in the Trader six years ago that he wanted to own it and has spent those years happily displaying it at car shows around the region as well as on his Web site www.mur-man.com.

"I never in a 1,000 years would have thought that I would be in a position to do something like this," says Berger on the site.

Besides displaying it on his site Berger has also been displaying the car at Foley-Sweitzer and other local businesses where people can purchase raffle tickets for $5 each or six for $25.

For all his generosity, Berger isn't letting his car go for a song.

"I know the car is worth around $10,000 and so I've set that as kind of a minimum," said Berger. "If we don't raise the minimum, the money collected will turn into a 50/50 drawing where the winner will get 50 percent and BBBSSCI will get the other 50 percent of the money collected."

The rules are in place to mainly to ensure that the vehicle makes as much money as possible for BBBSSCI, which needs the help, say Berger and BBBSSCI Program Coordinator Chris Mastovich.

"There is a waiting list of 40 children needing Big Brother Big Sister," said Mastovich, "and every match costs us $900 to make. The donation of the Buick to the raffle could help fill a void in several children's lives."

The drawing will be held at the Williamson County Fair in Marion on August 14 and the car will be on display at Foley-Sweitzer until that time. Ticket holders do not have to be present to win.

"The donation of this vehicle is very generous and unexpected," said Mastovich, "and its potential is unlimited and depends only on the public's response to the raffle."