In the window of sunshine and blue skies that opened August 26 between a rainy Thursday and the “Weekend of Irene,” 372 people took time out of work, storm preparations and end-of-summer fun to test-drive a new Ford or Lincoln for the 2011 Ford Motor Company Drive One 4 UR School fundraising event, hosted by the Central Bucks West Football Parents Club at the high school.

The event earns a $20 donation from Ford for every qualified test drive up to 300. Dealership partner Fred Beans Ford Lincoln on North Easton Road, Plumstead Township, which provided vehicles and sales personnel for the test drives, also pledged to extend the $20 donation for the next 100 qualified drives above Ford’s cap.

If all the drivers’ sign-up sheets pass muster (valid driver's license, one name per address, all the blanks filled in), the West football program will receive checks for $6,000 from Ford and $1440 from the Beans organization in just a few weeks. The funds will be shared with CB West band and cheerleading programs.

“What this small group of parents, school staff and students has accomplished here is remarkable,” says Fred Beans, president of the southeastern Pennsylvania automotive group. “I saw the energy at last year’s Drive One 4 UR School event [when they raised $4660 from Ford], and I knew we could help the school achieve even more in 2011.

“It was satisfying to be involved in such a terrific community effort. It was very well run.”

Tammy Sergeyev, fundraising chair of the parents club, worked with the CB West Football coaching staff, band and cheerleading squad to publicize the fundraiser and get sign-ups in advance. The band members and cheerleaders were instrumental in getting drivers to attend the event and cheerleaders helped throughout the day at the registration tables.

The event was expanded to eight hours this year, running 11am to 7pm along McFarlane Lane between the school and War Memorial Field. Entertainment throughout the day included Jungle Joe Fortunato, executive director of the Bucks County Zoo, with one of his zoo critters and CB West Band. Central Bucks Family YMCA hosted a Zumba Party to music provided by DJ Eck of Next Entertainment. The football scrimmage between Central Bucks West and Archbishop Wood, which started at 6pm, pulled in the final 75 or so test-drivers.

The Beans sales team brought 21 small, medium and large cars, trucks, SUVs and crossovers, worth over $1 million total, from the dealership for the event. Through the day they rotated the entire sales force on three-hour shifts between the school and the showroom.

“We were committed to doing all we could to see that the school meets its goal of 400 test drives,” said sales manager Gary Glauser. Besides the Central Bucks Family Y, other local businesses made a commitment to getting drivers to the fundraiser. Catherine Howard, vice president of Wells Fargo’s Doylestown branch, estimates the branch signed up about 30 people, including customers and about 8 of the branch’s staff.

In 2010, the DO4URS test-drive event raised $4,660 with 233 test drives; the year before, the club raised $1,800 with 90 test drives.

Learn more about Ford’s fundraiser for schools: www.facebook.com/driveone4urschool.