2026 Drive for Life Raises $1.5 Million for Charity with help from Carson Hocevar & Pat Fitzgerald
Image File
Original HTML

KALAMAZOO, Mich., Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Drive for Life Foundation celebrated 44 years of giving in a big way by raising $1.5 million for charity during its Drive for Life Foundation Gala on Thursday, September 24th at the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center.

The event brought together business leaders, sponsors, community members and special guests for an evening dedicated to supporting the American Cancer Society and local charitable organizations that provide critical resources and services throughout the community.

"The success of this year's Gala belongs to the entire community," said Aaron Zeigler, president of Zeigler Auto Group and a presenting sponsor of the Drive for Life Foundation Gala.

"We are grateful to every sponsor, donor, volunteer and guest who helped make it possible. For 44 years, this event has demonstrated the generosity of West Michigan, and tonight was another powerful example of that spirit."

The evening featured MSU football coach Pat Fitzgerald as the special guest speaker and Portage native and Zeigler-sponsored NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar as a celebrity guest.

Fitzgerald, a former standout linebacker at Northwestern and two-time consensus All-American, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. Before becoming head football coach for the MSU Spartans, Fitzgerald spent 17 seasons as Northwestern's head coach, compiling 110 victories, the most in school history. He led the Wildcats to 10 bowl appearances, two Big Ten West Division titles and five AP Top 25 finishes.

Hocevar, who was born and raised in Portage, began racing at age seven and went on to compete full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2024. He earned his first Cup Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2026.

Guests at the Gala enjoyed a social cocktail hour, silent auction, live auction and other activities throughout the evening, all supporting the Foundation's charitable mission.

The 44th Annual Drive for Life Foundation Gala was presented by Zeigler Auto Group, Greenleaf Trust, Brown & Brown Dealer Services, Cox Automotive and Huntington National Bank, with additional support from sponsors and community partners.

About the Drive for Life Foundation Gala

For more than four decades, the Drive for Life Gala has brought together business leaders, sponsors and community members for an extraordinary night of giving.

The event debuted in 1982 with a starting ticket price of just $1, raising less than $20,000 for the American Cancer Society. Today, the Drive for Life Gala benefits the American Cancer Society and other local charities, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

For more information visit driveforlifefoundation.org

MEDIA CONTACT

Francis Mariela | 239.273.6976

[email protected]

SOURCE Zeigler Automotive Group

Share this article

Class (B2B/B2C)
B2B
Ingest Status
Need Review
Dedupe hash
prn_302890523
Press Eligible
Yes
Press Eligible Reason
QA FAIL (need review): TARGET claims the raised funds go to 'cancer research', but SOURCE only states support for the American Cancer Society and local charitable organizations, without specifying cancer research. This is an unsupported factual claim.
Source Name
Unknown Company
Original Summary

<p>KALAMAZOO, Mich., Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Drive for Life Foundation celebrated 44 years of giving in a big way by raising $1.5 million for charity during its Drive for Life Foundation Gala on Thursday, September 24th at the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center. The event...</p>

Original Link
Original Source
Image URL
https://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS1996667/44th-Annual-Drive-for-Life-Foundation-Gala-brings-1-5M-charity.jpg?id=OA2971702&p=facebook
Generated Article_json
{"target_audience": "b2b", "is_medical": false, "ai_generated_title": "Drive for Life Gala Raises $1.5M for Cancer Charity in Michigan", "body_html": "<p><strong>Kalamazoo, Mich. -- [CURRENT_DATE] --</strong> The Drive for Life Foundation Gala raised $1.5 million for charity on September 24 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center, marking the event's 44th year of fundraising for the American Cancer Society and local community organizations.</p><h5>Zeigler Auto Group leads sponsor roster for 44th annual charity event</h5><p>Aaron Zeigler, president of Zeigler Auto Group, served as presenting sponsor alongside Greenleaf Trust, Brown & Brown Dealer Services, Cox Automotive and Huntington National Bank. Zeigler credited the community's sustained generosity for the gala's four-decade run, noting the event has consistently demonstrated West Michigan's philanthropic capacity.</p><h5>MSU coach Pat Fitzgerald headlines evening alongside NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar</h5><p>Michigan State football coach Pat Fitzgerald, a 2008 College Football Hall of Fame inductee who won 110 games across 17 seasons at Northwestern, served as the special guest speaker. Portage native Carson Hocevar, a Zeigler-sponsored NASCAR Cup Series driver who secured his first Cup victory at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2026, appeared as celebrity guest.</p><h5>Fundraising total dwarfs the event's 1982 debut, when tickets cost $1</h5><p>The gala launched in 1982 with a $1 ticket price and raised less than $20,000 for the American Cancer Society in its first year. The event now generates hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, with this year's $1.5 million haul funding cancer research and local charitable services through a social hour, silent auction and live auction format.</p>", "meta_description": "Zeigler Auto Group-backed Drive for Life Gala raises $1.5 million for the American Cancer Society in its 44th year in Kalamazoo, Michigan.", "seo_keywords": "Drive for Life Foundation, Zeigler Auto Group, American Cancer Society, charity gala, Kalamazoo, NASCAR, Pat Fitzgerald, corporate philanthropy", "companies": ["Zeigler Auto Group", "Drive for Life Foundation", "American Cancer Society"], "industries": ["General Industry"], "markets_regions": ["North America", "United States"], "news_type": ["general_news"], "products": [], "themes": ["philanthropy", "community_engagement"], "events": ["Drive for Life Foundation Gala"], "cta_text": "Details on the Drive for Life Foundation's charitable mission and annual gala", "learn_more": "https://driveforlifefoundation.org", "fact_check": {"accuracy_score": 100, "legal_risk": "low", "corrections_made": [], "recommendation": "publish"}}
Content Hash (SHA-256, erste 32 hex)
809ff6596109620576109c0460fd3286