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Community Corner

Vespa Raffle Brings a Little Zip to a Good Cause

Coopersburg dealer Eurosports raises awareness for breast cancer research with a little help from Vespa Scooters.

Daren M. Vazquez spends most of his day selling macho motorcycles such as Triumphs, Ducatis, Moto Guzzis and Piaggios.

But recently the marketing manager forin Coopersburg has been keeping his eye on a little pink Vespa.

“Vespa is one of the most trendy products out there,” said Vazquez, a Nazareth native. “It created pink Vespas just for breast cancer awareness. It’s a neat way to get their name out."

The Vespa ("Wasp" in Italian) was born in 1946 in Italy as a low-cost product for the masses. Owned by Piaggio, the Vespa has become the No. 1 scooter company in the United States, according to the company. Today, one costs around $5,000, with the special pink model at nearly $6,000, Vazquez said.

That popularity is helping Vazquez and more than a dozen companies in the Lehigh Valley use the pink scooter to sell breast cancer awareness to women and girls.

The scooter is being displayed at nine Valley businesses this fall, with each having 500 tickets to be sold for a drawing to be held in late October. The winning prize at each site, of course, is one of the pink Vespas.

Valley Social magazine and the Get in Touch Foundation of Milford, Conn., are joining Eurosports in honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month and raising a projected $10,000 in the pink Vespa drawing. The cost of a ticket is $20 or $35 for two.

Displaying the scooters are in Center Valley, Prudential Patt, White Real Estate in Allentown, Millenia Salon and Spa in Easton, Metro Beauty Academy in Allentown, Sette Luna in Easton, Elegant Motor Cars in Bangor, Jems, Jewels and Gold in Montgomeryville, Starters Clubhouse in Bethlehem and Eurosports.

Sponsors without Vespas on display include Scribbles and Drips in Laurys Station, Dawn Photography in Bethlehem, Dealer Spike from Seattle and Community Warriors in Allentown.

Vespa scooters have gained popularity in the U.S. not only for their style, but for fuel economy. It costs only $9 to fill its tank, and it gets close to 100 miles per gallon, the company said.

“With the current economy, we need to think about how to be creative,’’ said Vazquez, who owns the motorcycle company Machines of Mayhem in Allentown. “We need to get by the gas prices and then our way of life would be different. We call it Vespanomics.’’

But helping girls learn how to detect signs of breast cancel should not rely on the economy, he said.

Girls in grade 5-12 need a method of testing. Get In Touch has developed an interactive teaching aid known as the “Daisy Wheel.“

The wheel is presented to fifth-grade girls by health educators and is then used annually through 12th grade to provide for a lifetime of informed self-examination.

Promoters are looking to gain $10,000 from the event so they can make 10,000 “Daisy Wheels” and help 10,000 girls.

“The Pink Vespa Program is a special way to touch the valley,” said freelance writer C. David Baker, who is involved with Eurosports. “It’s an encouraging example of how creative collaboration works to serve communities.“

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