RIDEMAKERZ BRINGS DREAM CUSTOMIZER TO WOODWARD DREAM CRUISE

Chip Foose, Legendary Car Customizer and Host of TLC's Overhaulin', Signs Autographs, Debuts Foose Customized RIDE Collection to Commemorate Dream Cruise and Benefit Progeria Research Foundation

ST. LOUIS (August 4, 2008) - Pinch yourself, it's not a dream, it really is Chip Foose.  RIDEMAKERZ, the first-ever car customizing experience for kids ages 6 to 106, will make car enthusiasts' dreams come true when it brings legendary car customizer and host of TLC's Overhaulin', Chip Foose, to Detroit's Woodward Dream Cruise the weekend of Aug. 15-16.

Foose will sign autographs on the Main Stage at the Eaton Performance Park on Woodward Ave. on Friday, Aug.15, from 6-8 pm and Saturday, Aug.16, from 9 am-12 pm, 2-5 pm and 6-9 pm.

In addition, to commemorate the 14th annual Woodward Dream Cruise, Foose will debut The RIDEMAKERZ Dream Collection, a first-of-its-kind collection of 14 different RIDEZ personally customized by Foose himself.  The Collection includes such classic Detroit muscle as the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, a retro Hot-Rod and pick-up, a stock race car, a Dodge Viper, Ford and Dodge pick-ups, two Cab-over trucks, even a MINI-Cooper and a Scion xB, among others; each RIDE measures approximately 10 to 12 inches long or about 1:14th to 1:20th scale.  The RIDEZ will be on display at the RIDEMAKERZ booth located next to the Main Stage at the Eaton Performance Park.  Following the Dream Cruise, the RIDEZ will tour the country stopping at each of the 12 RIDEMAKERZ Shops, as well as major car events such as SEMA in Las Vegas and Houston's Autorama.  The RIDEMAKERZ Dream Collection will then be put on the auction block in Scottsdale, Ariz., in January - Scottsdale's classic car auction month - to benefit the Progeria Research Foundation. 

"We are honored that Chip Foose has customized, signed and numbered 14 different RIDEZ to create the RIDEMAKERZ Dream Collection, paying tribute to the world's largest one-day automotive event," said Larry Andreini, ZEO (CEO) of RIDEMAKERZ.  "Introducing these classic RIDEZ on Woodward - America's first highway - actually feels like a dream!  We're excited that cruisers from around the world attending this nostalgic event will be the first to view these one-of-a-kind RIDEZ and that the Progeria Research Foundation will ultimately benefit from their sale."

Foose, the most-celebrated customizer of our time, personally built, accessorized (chassis, wheels, side pipes, spoilers, engines, etc.) and hand painted each RIDE using BASF paints at his Foose Design Shop in Huntington Beach, Calif.  He will sign and add the final touches to the RIDEZ on Friday morning before they go on public display at the RIDEMAKERZ booth starting at noon on Friday through 9 p.m. Saturday.   

"I lost my sister, Amy, to Progeria, so the Progeria Research Foundation is a cause very near and dear to my heart," said Foose.  "I'm so grateful that RIDEMAKERZ is donating the money raised from the Dream Collection to such a worthwhile cause."

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome ("Progeria") is a fatal, "rapid aging" disease that afflicts children, who die of heart disease at an average age of 13 years.  The Progeria Research Foundation (PRF) is the only non-profit organization in the world dedicated to discovering the cure and effective treatment for Progeria.  The RIDEMAKERZ donation will help children with Progeria throughout the United States, including those involved with Michigan's local chapters in Flat Rock and Stevensville.

"We are so fortunate to have the support of Chip Foose and RIDEMAKERZ," said PRF Executive Director Audrey Gordon.  "With their help, PRF can continue its mission at a faster pace, to win this race against time for all children with Progeria." 

About RIDEMAKERZ^®

RIDEMAKERZ combines the fun and excitement of cars with the hands-on experience of creating your very own cool, tricked-out RIDE.  The concept is inspired by              Build-A-Bear Workshop® and taps into America's love of cars and car customization.  RIDEZ range in price from $12 to $29, depending on body and paint style selected.  Radio control can be added for an additional $25, and custom accessories range in price from $2.50 to $15.  With more than 649 million combinations, there is a tricked-out RIDE for everyone's budget.  RIDEZ measure approximately 10 to 12 inches long and range from around 1:14th to 1:20th scale.           

In May of 2008, RIDEMAKERZ opened two Shops in the Detroit area.  "Detroit is the car capital of the world," said Andreini.  "We are thrilled to be a part of the Motor City and to rev up the next generation of automakers and car customizers."

RIDEMAKERZ' mission is to have great fun making cool RIDEZ - with the ultimate vision of contributing to the positive development of kidz.  RIDEMAKERZ is about the joy and fun of creating something great, something artistic, something unique and original.  RIDEMAKERZ  received first place for "best attraction retailing" in Chain Store Age magazine's 2008 Retail Store of the Year Awards and was recently named one of the "Hottest Retailers" in 2008 by The International Council of Shopping Centers, Inc. (ICSC).  Visit RIDEMAKERZ.COM for more information. 

About Progeria Research Foundation

PRF is the only non-profit organization established to find the cause, treatment and cure for Progeria - a rapid aging disease that causes children to die, usually by their early teens, from heart disease or stroke.  In just eight years, PRF has done a tremendous amount to help save these children, and in 2003, accomplished the first part of its mission by identifying the gene that causes Progeria.  Recent studies have also uncovered a drug that may be a treatment for this devastating disease, and PRF is now working to raise funds for a first-ever clinical drug trial at Children's Hospital Boston, which began in May 2007.  Please visit www.ProgeriaResearch.org for more information.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit

BBBS is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States.

Celebrating over 100 years of service nationally and more than 30 years of service locally to the metropolitan Detroit community, BBBS maintains a stellar reputation of recruiting exemplary citizens to share positive experiences with metropolitan Detroit youth.

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