Utahn wins nationwide sweepstakes

Kidney Kars » The South Jordan resident was picked from about 10,000 contest entries.

By Anna Kartashova–The Salt Lake Tribune–Posted: 01/29/2009

National Kidney Foundation Richard and Shoran Cloward and their neighbors, Gary and Darlene Odenwalder, spent four days in Pebble Beach, Calif., as winners of National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Cars 25th anniversary sweepstakes.

When a South Jordan resident donated his ’93 Dodge truck to a charity organization last October, he had no idea he was entering a sweepstakes.

Needless to say, Richard Cloward was nothing short of surprised after winning a three-night, four-day trip to Pebble Beach, Calif.

The National Kidney Foundation decided to hold a contest as part of its car-for-charity program’s 25th anniversary to distinguish Kidney Kars among its emulators, said Luz Lewis-Perez, director of development and programs of National Kidney Foundation of Utah.

“There’s been too many copy cats in the past years,” she said, adding Kidney Kars was the nation’s first car-for-charity program.

Everyone who donated vehicles to the foundation between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31 was automatically entered in the sweepstakes. Among nearly 10,000 donations nationwide within those four months, 1,443 cars were from the Beehive State.

“We’re so glad someone in Utah got to win this contest,” Lewis-Perez said. “Utahns have been so generous to Kidney Kars.”

When Cloward learned he won the grand prize, he was a bit skeptical.

“You’re always a little suspicious, but it took a couple of questions and answers [to know] it was legit,” he said.

Cloward has donated three other vehicles to the program before: a ’95 Dodge Intrepid with a blown engine and two Ford trucks — one with a dead engine and another with a defunct transmission — that he used for his own business,

Although it wasn’t Cloward’s first trip to California, it was his first to Pebble Beach, which is known for its high-end golf courses.”Not everybody plays Pebble Beach at $400 a round,” Cloward said. “You gotta pay lots of money or be a member. It’s first class.”

The $20,000 value vacation was paid for four people, so Cloward invited his wife of 45 years, Shoran, and next-door neighbors Gary and Darlene Odenwalder.

“I play golf, and he doesn’t, so it’s a trip of a lifetime for a golfer to go to Pebble Beach,” Gary Odenwalder said.

Utah’s program is among the top three most substantive car donation programs in the nation, Lewis-Perez said. Donors are usually families with children seeking a tax deduction, and Utah fits those demographics well.

The majority of donated cars National Kidney Foundation receives are 13 years or older and are parted and recycled if they don’t pass safety and emission inspection.

Lewis-Perez said it’s a great way to get rid of a car that no longer runs, takes up driveway space and is a hazard to the environment with its low fuel efficiency and high emissions.

However, about a quarter of all donated vehicles can be resold, she said, and 87 cents for every $1 raised goes toward care for local kidney patients, according to the foundation’s Web site. The money is used for medical research and kidney screenings for about 4,000 dialysis and transplant patients.

“There’s not a more responsible way to get rid of a vehicle,” Lewis-Perez said.

It typically takes two to five business days after the Kidney Foundation receives your information. It is also possible to request 24 hour pick up service (in most areas) for special circumstances.

Kidney Kars accepts any car that has a clear title, inflated tires and has not been dismantled or parted out. It can tow your vehicle from almost anywhere.

The tax deduction generally applies to those who itemize deductions on their 1040 federal tax return. The amount of the tax deduction depends on the actual sale value of the Kidney Kar donation.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/valleywest/ci_11576573

Donation information: To donate a car, truck, motorhome or boat to Kidney Kars, call 800-TOW-KARS (869-5277) or visit www.towkars.org