How buying a classic car gift can help save a baby’s life

March 01--Buying that $15 nail polish set or $59 classic car cuff links could save a life.

McKeel Hagerty, CEO of the largest classic car insurer in the world, has just launched a partnership that diverts proceeds from the company's online sales site to be used to purchase car seats for low-income families throughout the U.S.

"Everything we do is centered around the love of driving," said the Traverse City-based executive. "Part of this is safe driving. I have three daughters, and they were all lucky enough to have car seats to keep them safe. No child should be injured or killed because their parent didn't have access to the same protection my kids had."

Hagerty is working with the nonprofit Baby2Baby, which distributes thousands of car seats annually to low-income children. The organization has received 13,456 requests for 2018 alone in Los Angeles, though families nationwide will benefit from the program, according to co-president Norah Weinstein.

Children from birth to age 12 and living in poverty receive diapers, clothing and other necessities from the LA-based organization, which distributes items through homeless and domestic violence shelters, children's hospitals, foster care programs, Head Start programs and more.

The Baby2Baby National Network has members in more than 20 cities, including Midwestern sites in Illinois and Ohio.

Corporate support plays a huge role in fulfilling requests, Weinstein said.

"The Shop: Assembled by Hagerty," at http://on.freep.com/2FECp2l, offers apparel, accessories, garage and home products online that include a $22 "Spit Crew" baby onesie, a "backseat driver" mug for $28, an automotive poker set for $95 and a $25 "three-pedals" adult T-shirt for stick-shift drivers. There is no end date set for the fundraising partnership, and all sales go toward the effort.

Profits go to Baby2Baby. This latest campaign is part of a years-long investment by Hagerty devoted to children, education and heritage. The company funded more than $200,000 worth of scholarships and equipment in 2017 alone.

This latest project, underwriting what can be cost-prohibitive car seats for families in need, is applauded by safety advocates.

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children," said Jessica Jermakian, senior research engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "When they're buckled up in the rear seat in a restraint that is age and size appropriate, children are much less likely to be injured in a crash."

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-222-6512 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid.

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