Mark Kariya | August 2, 2023
More than $43,700 was raised at the ninth annual Caselli MotoDoffo fundraising event to help advance The Kurt Caselli Foundation’s mission of Protecting and Supporting the Lives of Off-Road Riders.
Photos by Mark Kariya
This is a press release from KCF…
Temecula, CA (August 1, 2023) – The ninth annual Caselli MotoDoffo fundraising event, presented by FMF, KTM, and Rocky Mountain ATV/MC, took place on Saturday, June 10, 2023, at the beautiful Doffo Winery in Temecula, California. Over 366 enthusiastic attendees gathered from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm to celebrate the life and legacy of Kurt Caselli while contributing over $43,700 to help advance The Kurt Caselli Foundation’s mission of Protecting and Supporting the Lives of Off-Road Riders.
The atmosphere was electric as enthusiasts, sponsors, and supporters alike gathered to honor the memory of Kurt Caselli, a legendary racer whose larger-than-life spirit and love for the sport continue to inspire generations of riders. The grounds were abuzz with excitement as live music by Those Guys Band filled the air, setting the perfect tone for an unforgettable evening. A family-friendly affair, the event featured engaging activities for kids, including face painting, hat designing, balloon art, and more, ensuring a memorable experience for attendees of all ages.
This year’s event brought back vendors, adding an extra dimension of engagement as attendees could interact with some of their favorite moto brands who are also big supporters of the Foundation and off-road safety. The silent auction, raffles, Caselli merchandise, food and drink proceeds, and event admissions played a pivotal role in raising funds to support The Kurt Caselli Foundation’s initiatives within the off-road riding and racing community.
During the KCF presentation, the two Fall 2023 Kurt Caselli Scholarship recipients were announced, recognizing Braxton Good of Huber Heights, Ohio, and Corey Wettstein of Ontario, Oregon. Each recipient will be granted $6,600, which is sent directly to the school. The Kurt Caselli Scholarship program, established in 2015, continues to empower and support off-road racers in their pursuit of education and future careers. Racers can now apply for the Spring 2024 scholarship at KurtCaselli.com/scholarship.
Donny Emler Jr., President of The Kurt Caselli Foundation, expressed gratitude to all who attended, valued sponsors, vendors, and dedicated volunteers, remarking, “The generous contributions and unwavering support will enable us to continue our work in promoting rider safety, funding educational scholarships, and creating a safer environment for off-road riders and racers.”
The following is an event recap from Mark Kariya, June 2023
A large crowd gathered at the Doffo Winery for the ninth annual MotoDoffo/ Kurt Caselli Foundation’s fundraiser.
A variety of activities for kids, dozens of vintage bikes on display, silent auctions, a live band, giveaways, adult beverages for the age-qualified, memorabilia of the legend himself plus the opportunity to gather with other like-minded enthusiasts in a relaxed, non-race environment—all of this drew a large crowd to the Kurt Caselli Foundation’s (KCF) ninth Caselli/MotoDoffo Winery Fundraiser. (The 2020 event was, of course, canceled due to the pandemic.)
This group shot just over two hours into the event shows only a portion of the attendees. (Some couldn’t be pulled away from Doffo’s Moto Barrel Room where adult beverages were served.)
While final attendance and total raised will take a while to tabulate, it’s certain that both will meaningfully contribute to the event’s history. (While hot weather may have negatively impacted attendance last year, it still raised more than $41,000.) Since the 501(c)3 Foundation’s inception in 2013, it’s raised more than $2.1 million for its mission of “Protecting and Supporting the Lives of Off-Road Riders” and currently has an annual operating budget of $120,000 used for funding safety initiatives across the country, both in motocross and off-road competition.
A number of sponsors donated product and services that lined many raffle tables, some of which are shown here.
The Caselli/MotoDoffo Winery Fundraiser isn’t just for adults—kids had a variety of activities to enjoy like the face-painter whose work Kobe Kamo appears to approve of.
Part of that budget goes to the scholarships the KCF awards each semester. For fall-semester 2023, the recipients of the scholarships of $6600 each were Braxton Good of Huber Heights, Ohio, and Corey Wettstein of Ontario, Oregon. They bring the total number of recipients to 55 receiving $145,700 since the program began.
“After many years doing it, to see people show up is so important for us,” FMF’s Donny Emler, Jr., President of the KCF, said. “A lot of these people didn’t even know who Kurt might’ve been, but it’s so cool to see people come here and want to learn about what we’re doing as a foundation, and who Kurt was. I think we always do a great job of immortalizing him—making sure he’s present here, his image and likeness are here, his smile.
The Doffo Barrel Room provided a moto-centric place to enjoy the company of others as well as food and drink.
“I think people come back or want to come because, first of all, it’s in a great location—it’s in the heart of SoCal motocross and off-road racing here. You mix a little wine and fun and raffles and giveaways, and people will support it. A lot of these people spend so much time at the races or riding or camping with their families, and I think it’s nice for everyone to get together as one big off-road community and see people here [away from the seriousness of a race environment] and I think people appreciate that.”
While the Foundation works year-round raising funds, its next major event will be the 11th annual Kurt Caselli Ride Day, tentatively scheduled for December 2, 2023, at Fox Raceway in Pala, California. To keep up with KCF news, visit www.kurtcaselli.com.
