A collector has donated more than 85 antique tractors, valued at over $500,000 in all, to support the growth of the Powdersville YMCA in South Carolina. The machines will be auctioned off, and the money raised from the auction will be earmarked for a future Child Development and Training Center in the Powdersville/Wren community.
The tractors were donated by Jimmy Wilson and include a Hart Parr 30, an IHC 8-16 Junior Kerosene, an International Harvester Titan 10- 20, a Case 18-32, and more than 50 John Deeres. Wilson’s is believed to be one of the top tractor collections in the country. The tractors, which date back to as early as 1919, are restored to their original working condition and have an estimated range in value between $10,000 to $40,000 each.
The auction has been set for Oct. 9 and will be handled by Aumann Auctions out of Illinois. For more information about the event, please visit www.theYMCA.us/tractors.
“The YMCA is one of the best things that’s ever happened to the Powdersville community,” Wilson said. “We celebrate that we can play a small part in the YMCA’s growth by donating these great tractors to be auctioned.”
The YMCA’s planned Child Development and Training Center, which is expected to cost between $1.5 million and $2 million, will meet some of the community’s most pressing needs by providing three core services.
First, it will offer primary childcare for young children, with a focus on equipping them for kindergarten, all with a Christian worldview.
Secondly, it will focus on helping train family caregivers in the community who are serving as primary caregiver. Lastly, it will provide support services to expecting and new mothers so that there is a thriving support community through some of the most exciting and challenging months for both mom and baby.
“This gift from Mr. Wilson is an unbelievable blessing for our YMCA and we will use this to continue our mission for more life-changing work in the Powdersville community,” said Sid Collins, CEO of the YMCA of Easley, Pickens & Powdersville. “Mr. Wilson has a heart for this community and we want to honor this gift by establishing a new CDTC in his honor so that the lives of thousands of families will be positively impacted for years to come.”
