The Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach was incorporated in January of 1991 as a 501 (c)(3) publicly supported organization whose purpose is to raise funds, through a series of charitable events held in conjunction with the annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Building on the drama and fanfare surrounding the race, which annually attracts crowds in excess of 185,000, the Foundation schedules exciting events open to businesses and public participation.
Events
Sunday, April 6
The Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach will hold the 7th Annual Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach 5K.
Participants will run a two-lap tour of the world-famous Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach racecourse including Pine Avenue and Seaside Way, with the finish at the official Grand Prix start/finish line on Shoreline Drive. Kids 12 and under can get in on the action with the Kids’ Turbo 1K, which will take place after the main races on a portion of the regular racecourse. The other two races will be the Elite/Pro 5K (those who can finish the race in under 25 minutes) which will start at 7:00 a.m. and the run for the general public, beginning at 7:30 a.m.
Each runner will receive a finisher medal, an official Grand Prix Foundation 5K t-shirt, post-race refreshments and two complimentary Friday general admission tickets to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, an $80 value. There will also be photo ops and activities in the 5K festival area at the conclusion of the run.
For more information, please click here.
Thursday, April 10
The Road Racing Drivers Club (RRDC) and Grand Prix Foundation will present an expanded 2025 RRDC Legends Dinner and Gala, which will celebrate the 50 years of racing on the streets of Long Beach, Calif., and will honor Mario Andretti, Al Unser Jr. and Brian Redman, legendary drivers from the Grand Prix’s rich history.
The 15th annual dinner and gala is scheduled for April 10, 2025, and will be held at a new venue – the Westin Long Beach Hotel at 333 E. Ocean Blvd. – one day before the start of the 50th Anniversary Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It will be open to the public.
All proceeds of the dinner will benefit The Mark Donohue Foundation, which supports the RRDC’s SAFEisFAST initiative, and the Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach, which supports charities in the Long Beach area. The Foundation’s proceeds from the gala will go to Long Beach City College’s Automotive Technology Program.
Andretti, Unser and Redman will be honored at the event and attendees will be treated to a “David Letterman-style” interview of the honorees by Rahal.
To purchase tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime event, visit https://onecau.se/_827281. Tickets are $400 per person. More details are available at that link and here: https://rrdc.org/2024/12/18/rrdc-to-celebrate-50-years-of-racing-at-long-beach-with-expanded-legends-dinner-and-gala/.
To contact the Grand Prix Foundation, call (562) 490-4509 or send us an e-mail.
About
The Grand Prix Foundation, since its inception in 1991, has donated more than $4.2 million to Southern California charities. In addition, the Foundation donates tickets and hospitality packages to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and tickets to the Foundation’s “Grand Prix Charity Days” events to charitable and civic organizations to assist them in their fund raising efforts or, in some cases, to bring the physically or mentally challenged to a “day at the races.” For more information on the Grand Prix Foundation, please call the Foundation office at (562) 490-4509.
Beneficiaries
The Foundation (Federal tax number 33-0446818) was founded as an “all-volunteer” organization and continues to operate as such. Generous support from corporate sponsors allows the Foundation to keep overhead to an absolute minimum. The Foundation’s activities are governed by a twelve member Board of Directors, each elected to a two-year term. Beneficiaries are selected by a committee and members of the Board and approved by the Board of Directors. The Foundation benefits as broad a cross section of the community as possible and continually re-evaluates the needs of the community.
Scholarship Program - applications being accepted now
The Foundation, in 1997, established the annual Robert E. Leslie Memorial Scholarship program which provides a $1,500 grant every Spring to seven graduating seniors from the seven high schools in the Long Beach area. Leslie was a former Long Beach Fire Chief and founding director of the Foundation. Students are selected by a committee of civic leaders – including Chief Leslie’s sons – and are evaluated on academic achievement, academic potential, extra-curricular activity, community service, work experience, educational or vocational goals, and financial need.
Recipients must be citizens of the United States and residents of Long Beach or Lakewood. Proof of citizenship may be required. These awards shall not be conditioned upon race, color, religion, age, sex, marital status, physical disability, or national origin of the recipient.
The application for the 2025 Robert E. Leslie Memorial Scholarship can be found here. Applications must be submitted by May 1.
REQUESTS
To request a ticket donation for a charitable organization in the Long Beach area, please send a letter to: Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach, 3000 Pacific Ave., Long Beach, CA 90806 or contact gpfoundationlb@gmail.com.
