Albany County, Saratoga Automobile Museum partner to display customized Humvee at Times Union Center in support of Feed Our Vets charity
Customized 1991 HMMWV Humvee, to be auctioned off at second annual Saratoga Auto Auction, will support Feed Our Vets charity
ALBANY, N.Y. (July 30, 2018) — Albany County and the Saratoga Automobile Museum (“SAM”) have announced that a special customized 1991 Humvee will be on display inside the atrium of the Times Union Center in partnership with Feed Our Vets. The Humvee will be auctioned off at the second annual Saratoga Auto Auction, taking place from Sept. 21 and 22 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center where 100 percent of the proceeds from the Humvee’s sale will go to Feed Our Vets.
“Homelessness and poverty among our veteran population is a growing issue in this country that I have long fought to address,” said Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy. “Today I am proud to partner with Feed Our Vets and the Saratoga Automobile Museum to raise crucial funding to support those who sacrificed so much to preserve our way of life.”
The customized 1991 military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle to be auctioned at the Saratoga Auto Auction in September was developed by the military as a replacement for Jeeps previously used in Vietnam. This vehicle was regarded as one of the toughest and most reliable utility vehicles of its time and aided in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Since then, it has been refurbished by nationally recognized restoration specialist Steve Hale (History Channel’s American Restoration).
Using the Humvee as a salute and benefaction to veterans began with an idea from the founder of Feed Our Vets, Rich Synek, when he saw CNN restore a H1 Hummer that has been used in the Iraq was auction at $1.35 million for charity.
“Feed Our Vets is proud and honored to have our totally refurbed FOV 1 military Humvee showcased inside the Times Union Center in Albany. This amazing opportunity made possible by County Executive McCoy will bring attention to the new face of hunger in the United States: The American Veteran,” said Rich Synek, founder, Feed Our Vets.
“We’re excited to partner with Albany County Executive Dan McCoy to promote the auction in support of our veterans,” said Carly Connors, executive director, Saratoga Automobile Museum. “We’re proud to support Feed Our Vets for this year’s auction and we appreciate the County Executive’s efforts to help men and women who have served our country.”
“I encourage people to come by the Times Union Center to view this customized 1991 Humvee. The refurbished and customized vehicle is truly remarkable with the proceeds going to the wonderful cause of Feed Our Vets,” said Senator Neil D. Breslin.
“The Capital Region is filled with remarkably generous people and local businesses that want to give back to our community, whether it be through food drives, donating winter clothing to school children, charity auctions, and many other initiatives,” said Downtown Albany BID executive director Georgette Steffens. “We are fortunate to have an impressive venue like the newly renovated Times Union Center atrium to showcase the charity Humvee, and with the incredible events they hold that attract thousands of people it will encourage even more auction bids to benefit the honorable Feed Our Vets mission.”
After 1,000 hours of rejuvenating the Humvee, completely cleaned, repainted, and renovated, it is ready to be auctioned this fall. The original engine, a 6.2-liter GM diesel V8 with GM fuel injection has been freshened and is in excellent condition. The transmission is a three-speed automatic and features an independent four-wheel drive accompanied by a rebuilt suspension. With four doors and a wide wheelbase, there is a good amount of room in the interior, which has been redone as well.
The 1991 HMMWV Humvee is sparking with its off green and black paint theme and is sporting its new paint job courtesy of Crystallance paints which includes crushed glass in the mixture to provide an extra sparkle. Additionally, the vehicle has 13 stars painted on its hood, along with saluting soldiers and the Feed Our Vets logo on the truck sides.
The Humvee will be displayed at the atrium throughout the month of August and early September before returning to Saratoga Springs ahead of the auction.
For more information about the Saratoga Auto Auction, visit saratogaautoauction.org. For more information about the Saratoga Automobile Museum, visit saratogaautomuseum.org.
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About the Saratoga Automobile Museum: The Saratoga Automobile Museum was organized in 1999, and opened to the public in 2002. The Museum’s mission is to preserve, interpret and exhibit automobiles and automotive artifacts. We celebrate the automobile and educate the general public, students and enthusiasts regarding the role of the automobile in New York State and in the wider world. In addition to technical and design aspects, our educational focus is on the past, present and future social and economic impact of the automobile.
The Museum is located within the 2,500 acre Saratoga Spa State Park, in the heart of historic Saratoga Springs, New York, world famous for its legendary, much honored one-mile thoroughbred track. The museum’s facility is the totally restored and renovated Saratoga Bottling Plant, a beautiful neo-classic structure built in 1934. The Museum is adjacent to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and near the landmark Gideon Putnam Hotel. Within walking distance in the Park are the National Museum of Dance, the Spa Little Theatre and the lavish Hall of Springs banquet facility. saratogaautomuseum.org
About Feed Our Vets: Feed Our Vets is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to help Veterans in the United States struggling with hunger through community food pantries providing free food to Veterans and their families, distribution of goods and services to aid in their struggles, and public education and outreach. The organization works to involve the public in fighting Veteran hunger and to combat the mistreatment of Veterans.
