Eighteen years ago, Joe Steckler paid a visit to A.J. Hiers to ask if he would help support the Brevard Alzheimer's Foundation
with a car drawing. At the time, Mr. Hiers was supporting several small charities, each in some small way. After this meeting,
Hiers decided to jump in in a very large way. The first several years of the ALZ BBQ and Car Drawing were held at the
Boniface-Hiers Mazda dealership, in Melbourne, Florida.
Since the inception of this fundraiser it has grown tremendously. It all began as a small fundraiser where the winner of the
raffle had the opportunity to pick a new car off the lot of a Boniface-Hiers dealership. In 1998, A.J. Hiers decided that in order
to gain more attention something needed to be done to boost raffle sales. So that year he made the decision to give away
his personal collector car, a numbers matching, 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T 426 Hemi. As a result, sales did rise and we have
been giving away instant collectors ever since, in what has turned into a worldwide car giveaway. "Being a supporter has
been very rewarding for me and my people. It's a privilege to be associated with the board, Chris Stagman, Derek Williams,
and everyone on staff at the Brevard Alzheimer's Foundation and Joe's Club. I see no reason to ever stop trying to be more
successful then the year before," said A.J. Hiers.
The Brevard Alzheimer's Foundation has been provided with some of the most collectible cars for raffle in the world to raise
money for our nonprofit. These same cars could easily bring large amounts at any Barrett Jackson, or similar collector auto
auctions.
In recent years, the ALZ BBQ and Car Drawing has grown to unforeseen heights, and staff at the Brevard Alzheimer's Foundation
has worked tirelessly to make this fundraiser a huge success. This event now gains the attention of thousands throughout the
year at different events, and by reaching out on the Internet. At the 17th Annual ALZ BBQ and Car Drawing, we had close to
2,000 donors in attendance to watch the event live. With all the barbeque you can eat, free soda, beer, and water; this has
turned into one of the largest fundraisers in Brevard County.
After seventeen years, we have finally gained the support of a celebrity. Geoff Bodine, a NASCAR legend and the savior of the
U.S. Olympic Bobsled team, has noticed the cause that this fundraiser supports. This past year he has been instrumental in
assisting with ticket sales and drumming up support among another group of potential supporters.
We look forward to watching this event continue to be successful and grow year after year. Thank you for your support over
the years and for your continued support in the years to come.
Good luck.