How Does a Non-Profit Help?
Gears in Heaven is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families that have been killed or seriously injured in motorsport accidents. The organization was founded by Jeff and Jen, whose son was passionate about motorsports and was killed in an accident this year on his birthday. Although the one thing that is considered to be priceless to parents was tragically taken from them, they knew something must be done! They wanted to do something to help the families of those affected by these accidents. Gears in Heaven provides financial assistance and other support like chores, food, and so much more to these families and work to raise awareness about how to be safe in motorsports.
Gears in Heaven also works to promote motorsport safety through public outreach and education. They provide educational materials about motor racing safety, hold informative seminars and events, and even host an annual charity race day at Lime Rock. All these initiatives are meant to raise awareness of the importance of being safe while engaging in motorsports activities and bringing comfort to those affected by the dangers of the sport.
Gears in Heaven is passionate about bringing families together and providing a safe future for those who are passionate about motorsports. By supporting them, you will be making a difference in the lives of these families and helping to create safer motorsport environments for everyone!
Families We’ve Helped
On average, over 5,000 motorcycle accidents happen a year in the US, and growing! As soon as we hear about an accident, we write a letter to the family comforting them and just try to be a little light. We want to make sure that these families feel supported and know that they’re not alone. We also provide financial assistance to help them with any costs associated with the accident.
We have helped 14 families in our first year! We are continuing to grow and expand our reach so that more families can be helped in the future. We are constantly looking for volunteers to help us with our educational events and fundraisers. Some of the other services we provide are writing letters, helping with chores, planting memorial trees, financial assistance, all kinds of resources, and just lending an ear so they don’t feel alone.
We want all motorsports enthusiasts to feel safe while they enjoy their passion! We also want these families, who have been affected by accidents, to know that there is a support system they can turn to and not feel alone. Your support helps us to continue our mission and change lives every day!
What Makes Gears in Heaven Different
The main thing that makes us different is that we do more than just offer money. Money can’t bring back a loved one. At times, we all can be so materialistic and shallow to the true need for compassion and empathy in these tragic and scary situations. Money can’t take away any of those feelings. Money doesn’t bring their loved one back to life or make it any less real.
Although providing more than money is one of our core values, it may not be our biggest difference. One of the biggest differences about Gears in Heaven is that there is no discrimination or judgment passed on to the family who has been affected. It’s silly to even think that we have to mention this as one of our biggest differences, but unfortunately, it seems to have come to a point where we feel we have to disclose that to our donors.
We take huge pride in the unbiased nature of Gears in Heaven. A lot of people want to paint a bad picture of motorsport enthusiasts and deem them as deserving of a tragic event. That just doesn’t sit right with us. Nobody is deserving of fatality. Anyone who thinks that is out of touch with reality and themselves. Everybody makes mistakes or has acted out of character. To deny this is to lie to yourself and hold onto your regrets. It isn’t the family that made the mistake either.
One of our sayings is, “Accidents affect more than those involved.” Meaning there is a family, friends, peers, and a community that they are leaving behind. No matter how we perceive people, there is always more to the story and to them as a person. It is unethical and outlandish to pick favorites when it comes to aiding people calling out for help. There is no way we can grow as a community and begin to live safer and more peaceful days while neglecting to educate and help every motorsport enthusiast.
We do what others don’t want to and get our hands dirty. We educate instead of sitting idly by. To the families we serve, we’re a change for the better. Our organization was created to help in situations where motorsport turns tragic–because doing nothing is never an option. This is who we are and always will be; it’s how Gears in Heaven makes a difference as a non-profit organization.
How You Can Help
At Gears in Heaven, we are dedicated to providing support and resources to families who have been affected by motorsport-related accidents. Through our fundraising events, educational programs, and financial assistance, we have been able to help countless families over this past year as our first year as a non-profit organization. We strive to continue our mission of spreading awareness about safety within the motorsport industry and helping those who have been killed or severely injured.
If you would like to give back by donating or learning more about our organization, please visit our website here. We are always looking for volunteers and donations to help us continue our mission! We appreciate your generosity. Together, we can make a difference! Thank you for your support!