2014 Quadratec Tent Show and Open House, Raffle a Rousing Success

It is shortly after 8:30 in the morning on a brisk and rainy October Saturday when Tim McAveney wipes some moisture from his face and checks his clipboard one last time. All around him forklifts and carts flit about the parking lot at Quadratec’s West Chester, Pa. campus, as a vast array of angel-white tents are being stocked for the company’s 9th annual Open House and Tent Sale. The day promises to be extra busy – more than any other tent sale so far – as this year Quadratec Outside Event Coordinator and Show Director Craig Jaros has assembled 35 of the biggest Jeep product vendors in the industry to augment what is already an extraordinarily popular event. And yet despite the wet, unseasonably frosty weather and hard work ahead, McAveney leans against one of his booth’s metal posts, looks out at the crowd beyond the entrance, and smiles. There is nothing else he’d rather be doing. McAveney, 33, and a 13-year Quadratec employee, along with mom Gretchen, are helping run the Tent Sale’s raffle booth this year. It is a hectic place as nearly two dozen vendors have donated a show-record $10,000 worth of product or gift certificates this year, and many people have made it a point to stop here first to see what is available to win. It is also an important spot for mother and son as Quadratec has pledged all raffle proceeds to the Philadelphia chapter of The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). McAveney was diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2006, while Gretchen has lived with the disease since her 40s. By show’s end, this year’s Tent Show raffle will sell through nearly 3,000 tickets – a show record – and raises nearly $5,000. “These are all great people who come to this show and come up to the raffle booth,” McAveney said. “Some of them have Crohn’s as well and it is great to talk with them and listen. They are all fantastic people.” Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis affect an estimated 1.4 million Americans - nearly 1 in 200 people - and are painful, seldom discussed and often isolating chronic digestive diseases. Advances over the last decade have helped treat the disorders, and they do go into remission for many patients, but currently there is no cure. The CCFA is the leading non-profit organization dedicated to finding cures for these painful and debilitating diseases. For McAveney, the disease struck hard. “I was admitted to Paoli Hospital with abdominal pain and bleeding and was there for about a week as I continued to get weaker and my condition worsened,” he said. While doctors debated whether to remove his large intestine entirely as well as a good portion of the small intestine, his family made some calls and got him admitted to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “They have some of the best gastro intestinal doctors in the world,” McAveney said. “During that time I was given steroids and intravenous nutrition called TPN, but my body was essentially attacking itself and over the course of a few weeks I had lost about 70 pounds. Things didn’t look good.” It was then his doctors decided to try and lower his immune response with a medication called Remicade. “After the first treatment I was showing signs of improvement and a week later I was released with a new hope for the future,” said McAveney. “I continue to take Remicade infusions to this day. I am considered to be a success story” This year’s Tent Show and Open House was also a rousing success. Since its inception in 2006 as a way for Jeep lovers in the Philadelphia region to get a ‘hands-on’ look at many of the products they love, the show has grown exponentially under the direction of Jaros and a legion of Quadratec employees who devote their time to staff the show. Despite the poor weather this year, more than a thousand people from around the area came out Saturday, October 11th to see many new products, take advantage of generous sale pricing, deep scratch and dent discounts, and interact directly with the industry’s biggest vendors. There were also plenty of family-friendly options like pumpkin carving, a photo booth, face painting, and dining vendors. “Bringing 35 vendors together like this for this year’s show was a pretty big task,” Jaros said. “We go all over the country during the year for some great events, but we consider this show as our most important undertaking of the year.” “It allows us to open up Quadratec and meet some great people who ordinarily may only call us on the phone or use us on the web. It certainly has proven popular and has grown every year.” While the Tent Sale and Open House crowd helped made the raffle and overall show a success with their support, so did the generosity of all the vendors involved. Participating in either this year’s show or raffle were: AEV, Airaid, ARB, Auburn Gear, Bedrug, Bestop, Bushwacker, Chadds Ford Electronics, Coverking, Dana, Daystar, Dirty Dog 4x4, Drake, Fuel Wheels, Genright, G2 Axle/Smittybilt. Hyline, JW Speaker, Lund, Mickey Thompson, Motive Gear, Northstar Battery, Omix, ORO, PIAA Lighting, Pypes Performance Exhaust, Rampage, ReadyLift, Real Wheels, Rigid Lights, Rock Slide Engineering, Skyjacker, Spicer, Spidertrax, Ten Factor, Teraflex, Trucklite, Vision X Lighting, Welcome Distributing, and Wet Okole. “Bestop always looks forward to attending this event, talking one-on-one with Quadratec customers, and supporting the raffle” said Bestop Regional Sales Manager Brad Bricker. “Bestop is happy to help provide products for this worthy cause. For the first time in a long time the weather did not cooperate, but that didn’t stem the attendance or enthusiasm of those who attended.” First-time show attendee Pypes Performance Exhaust echoed this sentiment. “I was blown away by the attendance given the weather,” said Pypes Major Account Manager Dave Gerard. “The Jeep community is one hearty bunch. I was also impressed by their support for Quadratec and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation – something Pypes was proud to contribute to.” Following a long day in the booth, the show and raffle success is certainly heartwarming to McAveney. But even more important, he says, is the support from Quadratec and everyone who attended. “It is incredible to see so many people come out for this show every year and to work for a place that cares so much to help us with our cause any way they can.”