$500K 2021 Ford Bronco sale benefits Pope Francis Center in Detroit

Reverend Tim McCabe found himself speechless.

“I’m still kind of in shock, just amazed,” he told the Free Press minutes after the 2021 Ford Bronco First Edition went on sale for $500,000 Thursday night in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Every penny goes to the Pope Francis Center in Detroit, which Henry Ford III told the crowd at the Barrett-Jackson auction house, “really amazing place downtown” does a great job. And, he says, Ford CEO Jim Farley volunteers there.

All of these dollars, said Henry Ford, will be used to help fund the new Bridge Housing Campus, the only facility to provide transitional housing and cover services to help break the cycle of homelessness.

The project, which is targeted to open in 2023 in Detroit’s Core City neighborhood, will feature 40 studio apartments, a cafeteria, a gym, a library, classrooms and a health clinic.

McCabe, executive director of Pope Francis’ House, and Ford, great-grandson of the founder of Ford Motor Co., stood on stage together as the bidding lasted five minutes before Georgian winner Tony Townley dropped the hammer.

Afterwards, Townley explained in a live interview webcast how he researched the Pope Francis Center prior to the auction. He turned to McCabe and said, “I think you all did a great job. The car was beautiful and all. Dad worked for Ford for 30 years in Atlanta and retired. It means a lot to be here and be able to donate.”

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McCabe has vowed to end Detroit’s chronic homelessness by 2030.

And Townley’s offer of $500,000 allowed the nonprofit to actually double the financial prize to $1 million due to the promise of matching gifts from donors from the Julia Burke Foundation, McCabe told the Free Press.

The northern California-based foundation, which has given millions of dollars to the Detroit project, was founded by the parents of a 16-year-old student who died in a car crash.

“Julia will be very proud to know part of her legacy is this Bridge Housing Project,” Robbie Murphy, a member of the foundation’s board, said in December.

A month ago, officials led the groundbreaking for the Bridge Housing Campus which will temporarily accommodate people for 90 to 120 days and include job preparation services.

The Pope Francis Center provides laundry, bathing, food, medical and dental care to homeless people who need help right now, McCabe told bidders. This sale of the Bronco, he says, “literally helps save lives.”

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Year after year, Detroit officials see about 2,000 people looking for a warm safe place to sleep on any given night, Mayor Mike Duggan said recently.

Behind the scenes

The whole idea for this auction started about three years ago in a brainstorming session that involved McCabe, now Ford CEO Jim Farley and the father-son team of David Fischer and David Fischer Jr. who owns The Suburban Collection in Troy.

“We had a meeting in Jim Farley’s office,” McCabe recalled, and the Fischers wanted to write a check to support the charity but thought it might be smarter to think creatively. That’s when they realized they could donate the vehicle, make it unique with the help of Ford’s designers and raise more money.

What makes it unique?

So this Bronco starts at $63,275 and has thousands of dollars in special features.

The $500,000 Bronco is painted Wimbledon White, a color that featured on the 1966 Bronco but is not available on the current version. Special features also include custom wheels with a Wimbledon White finish, a Rapid Red strip in the middle to match the striping on the body and hood. Accessories include a roof light bar, side pod light, in-vehicle safe, MOLLE strap system that attaches to the inner swing gate, full vehicle cover, and garage storage bag for tube doors.

“There were a lot of obstacles along the way, COVID being one of them,” McCabe said. “We got here three years later. The Ford team, the design team, they were so excited. Some of the Ford employees almost cried. They invested their heart and soul into this charity auction and it paid off.”

David Fischer Jr., CEO at The Suburban Collection, said his family donated the vehicle, but the Ford team, led by Farley, deserve credit for the successful prize that benefits downtown Detroit.

“We are honored to help make a difference,” Fischer told the Free Press. “My dad met up with Jim Farley and Tim McCabe. That was before COVID. My dad and I spent a bit of time with Jim and Tim. After that, we went downstairs and spent a bit of time checking out the surgery.”

David Fischer Sr., played a key role in raising $55 million for the $145 million renovation of the historic Argonaut Building located in Midtown Detroit for the College for Creative Studies.

The Fischer family, as part of a group strategy with Ford, switched vehicles they were going to auction about eight months ago, and went with the Bronco, said David Fischer Jr.

She and her father focus their philanthropy on education, cancer, basic needs and children. The Pope Francis Center is under basic needs.

“We were both born and raised in metro Detroit. We’ve been in the car business our whole lives,” Fischer said. “Southeast Michigan is our home. We have always been very actively working to improve the communities where we live and work.”

He represents the spirit of the city, McCabe said Friday.

“When we all do what we can to care for those in need, miracles like this happen,” McCabe said. “This family business truly sees themselves as community partners. They take care of the community. It doesn’t matter if the gift is $25 or $500,000 — it all works together. Every dollar is a blessing to us, and we use the money to ensure the smallest among we’re being watched.”

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