Lake Santeetlah – A car club of Porsche GT enthusiasts that regularly raises money for cystic fibrosis research donated $5,000 to the Graham County Rescue Squad on Saturday at Blue Waters Resort, where members of the group were staying.
Jeff Millsaps of Graham County Rescue Squad (and also chief of the Robbinsville Volunteer Fire Department) accepted the check from Smokies GT (website: smokiesgt.org).
“We’re just a bunch of driving enthusiasts who get together for a decent cause,” said Mayur Malde of Sewanee, Tenn., who co-founded the car club seven years ago.
“It gives us an excuse to have these cars.”
Smokies GT has raised over $1.4 million for The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and plans to continue with that cause, but its charitable focus will also be on local underprivileged causes, programs, and communities, according to the group’s website.
This is the group’s first donation to a Graham County organization.
“We intend to do more for Graham County,” Malde said.
Many car clubs recognize the vital service Graham County emergency personnel provide to motorists. They often witness those services first-hand.
Malde said he saw Graham County firefighters, rescue personnel and emergency medical services at work at a traffic accident in Graham County last year.
“You were the first to turn up,” he told Millsaps, referring to Graham County emergency service providers.
The group has 850 members, with an average turnout to events of about 150. Their passion centers on the Porsche GT, a street legal sports car tuned for track performance – perfect for Tail of the Dragon-type driving. Malde said it is the world’s largest Porsche GT group.
“We can’t thank you enough,” Malde said.
“We appreciate it,” Millsaps said.