Photos

The Danville d'Elegance Foundation successfully kicked fundraising efforts into high gear this year, raising nearly $400,000 for Parkinson's disease research. The foundation held a series of events over three days in September with the goal of surpassing the $1 million already raised to benefit research and patient care.

The eighth annual event brought together car collectors, automotive enthusiasts and San Ramon Valley residents for a "thrill ride" at Cardinale Winery, dinner gala at Blackhawk Museum and a downtown Danville car show. As of Oct. 26, the foundation had raised about $389,0000 and officials expect donations to keep coming.

"It doesn't end quickly because people buy ads, there's sponsorship that is just coming through. It has grown so much, it's not just how many people we had in seats at the gala or how many cars we had registered," said d'Elegance Founder Christine Edlund.

Tickets for the thrill ride and dinner gala sold out, with the Dinner d'Elegance featuring a more casual theme than previous years. The event featured a live auction, dancing to David Martin's House Party and a dessert bar.

"Last year we did $320,000 so we were really pleased to be almost at $400,000, especially in this economy. But we grow every year," Edlund said, adding that the foundation made $55,000 in its first year.

Edlund attributed the growth in funds raised to increased awareness, but also thanked the town of Danville for its support. The downtown car show is a worry-free, family event that doesn't require extra police like Hot Summer Nights, she added.

For more information on Danville d'Elegance, click here.

Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.