Scholarship Fund Received Record Donations

The Global Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship program, funded through the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS), received record donations in 2004.
Last year, the scholarship program received more than $20,000 U.S. in corporate and individual donations, helping the program award a record 145 scholarships of $1,000 to students planning aftermarket careers, and to sons and daughters of industry families in Canada and the U.S.
"This record number of donations, along with the Symposium’s established tradition as the aftermarket’s premier educational conference, is a fitting way to begin 2005 our 10th anniversary," said Pete Kornafel, GAAS Scholarship chairman. "We are well on our way to realizing the GAAS organizers’ dream of attracting the best and brightest students to aftermarket careers."
Kornafel has donated the royalties from his book, "Inventory Management and Purchasing Tales and Techniques from the Automotive Aftermarket," to the GAAS scholarship fund.
He also noted that the donation challenge is renewed. Again in 2005, an anonymous donor will match 25 percent of all donations to GAAS up to a $40,000 ($10,000 matching amount) total.
"That challenge is still being issued," Kornafel said. "2005 has begun with a donation of $3,000 from Grote Industries. In 2004, the fund received $3,000 each from
Delphi and Chicago Rawhide (CR)/SKF as well as gifts from several anonymous donors." Donations should be sent to GAAS Fund, c/o Susan Medick, AAIA, 4600 East-West Highway, Suite 300, Bethesda, MD 20814, susan.medick@aftermarket.org or 301-654-6664.
All of the net proceeds from each year’s event have gone toward funding industry scholarships since the first Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium was held Sept. 25-26, 1996, in Chicago. GAAS scholarships are awarded to qualified undergraduate and vocational technical students preparing for careers in the automotive aftermarket. Kornafel noted that more than 75 percent of GAAS scholarship recipients are currently employed in the aftermarket. It is anticipated that the 1,000th GAAS scholarship will be awarded in 2005, a million dollar milestone for the 10th anniversary.
GAAS scholarship program details and an application are available at www.automotivescholarships.com. The deadline for 2005 applications is Thursday, March 31.
GAAS 2005 is set for Wednesday and Thursday, May 11-12, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Chicago, Ill. The theme for 2005 is "Lessons from the Past, Perspectives on the Future". It will include a keynote presentation on global economics by Lester Thurow, MIT economist; a motivational address by Joe Gibbs, coach of the Washington Redskins and team owner of Joe Gibbs Racing; a discussion of marketing, service and business excellence by Donald Cooper, international business coach and speaker; and a look at the "Past, Present and Future" by Dr. David Fry of Northwood University. Several popular panel discussions are planned covering manufacturing, service and repair, and retail/wholesale distribution.
More information and registration forms for the Symposium are available at www.globalsymposium.org.
The GAAS program is a joint professional education effort of the Alliance of State Automotive Aftermarket Associations (ASAAA), Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada, Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association (APRA), Automotive Service Association (ASA), Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), Motorist Assurance Program (MAP), Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), Tire Industry Association (TIA), and University of the Aftermarket.