The checkered flag has fallen on the record-breaking auto show at Fountain Hills Park on Feb. 4. The Gila River Resorts & Casinos Concours in the Hills, presented by Matson Money, was a spectacle with drivers, pilots, parachutes and even puppies coming together to benefit Phoenix Children’s.
When it was time to meet at the winning circle, a total of around 50,000 people in attendance and $485,898 raised both sped past previous years.
The auto show featured some of the rarest and most expensive cars from around the world, including a LaFerrari, Aston Martin One-77, Cord 812 SC Convertible Coupe, a world-famous Ford GT Le Mans race car and more. The final total of cars, over 70 Ferraris, 35 race cars, and seven military helicopters.
The first year of Concours in the Hills featured 220 cars and 3,000 spectators. This year, with nearly 50,000 spectators, 1,200 vehicles and over 100 vendor and sponsor booths, the show’s expansion over the past nine years has been exponential.
Rob Mains Photography
The growth of the event was on display as cars rolled into the park, and four members of the U.S. Navy Parachute Team—The Leap Frogs—leapt from the sky, parachuting into the event trailing an American flag surrounded by red, white and blue smoke. In addition, the Falcon Warbirds, a Mesa-based pilot group, put on a missing man air performance. This was all followed by the presentation of the $470,000 check to Phoenix Children’s. By the end of the day, total donations reached $485,898 and counting, all of which will go directly to children in need of life-saving medical services.
“The support for this show from the community and sponsors is overwhelming,” says Peter Volny, creator of Concours in the Hills. “We in the car community are honored to be able to make this donation to Phoenix Children’s, where we can make a true positive impact on the lives of children.”
This is the last year that Volny will lead the event, one of the largest car shows in the world. As a parting gift, he gave the auto show to Phoenix Children’s, which will now annually plan the auto show that will only be for charity in partnership with its auxiliary group, PCH50. The group, also known as “The Fifty,” has a mission to harness the energy, enthusiasm and experience of 50 driven community leaders as the next generation of supporters of Phoenix Children’s.
“This year will be hard to beat,” says Dr. Kris Birkeland, a member of PCH50. “But I know that Phoenix Children’s and the PCH50 will continue to grow the impressive legacy that Peter has created with this event. We look forward to the community seeing what we can do at Concours in the Hills 2024.”
Learn more about the Concours in the Hills event here.
