Ritchie Bros. to sell street sweeper for charity during Los Angeles equipment auction

One.7, Inc. teams up with Ritchie Bros. to raise funds and 'sweep away' breast cancer for a second year

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (August 19, 2010) – Tina McDonough, owner and president of One.7, Inc., (www.1point7.com), the largest used sweeper dealer in the U.S., is teaming up with Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA), the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, for a second year to sell a street sweeper to raise funds for breast cancer research. Half the proceeds from the sale of the street sweeper, to be sold at a Ritchie Bros. unreserved public auction in Los Angeles on September 16, 2010, will be put towards her team’s fundraising efforts as participants in Seattle’s upcoming Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk (www.the3day.org) from September 24 – 26, 2010. Ritchie Bros. (www.rbauction.com) will also donate its commission and any additional fees from the sale of the street sweeper directly to the breast cancer fundraiser.

In 2009, McDonough donated half the proceeds from a pink 2001 Freightliner/Elgin Broom Bear street sweeper sold to a buyer from Tempe, Arizona at an Ritchie Bros. unreserved public auction in Olympia, Washington. The buyer even kept the truck in its original pink color.

“It was a no-brainer teaming up with Ritchie Bros. again to sell another sweeper and raise funds for breast cancer,” says Tina McDonough, Owner and President, One.7, Inc., "Ritchie Bros. really got behind us in supporting this cause last year when we sold the pink sweeper in Olympia. They did a top notch job and exceeded our expectations.”

The street sweeper being sold this year is a one-of-a-kind white 2000 Elgin Crosswind air vacuum sweeper with brand new paint, new brooms, decals and Alcoa wheels. The truck, which has 74,485 miles and 6684 hours, also features the distinctive pink ribbon—the trademark symbol for breast cancer awareness—on the front hood and sides of the truck. The rear of the truck is painted with the slogan: “Caution. This truck is working to sweep away breast cancer.”

The Breast Cancer Awareness street sweeper will be sold to the highest bidder—with no minimum bids or reserve prices—Thursday, September 16th at a public Ritchie Bros. unreserved Los Angeles auction. If the highest bidder is a U.S. taxpayer, they will receive a charitable donation receipt for 50 percent of their winning bid.

McDonough, a huge supporter of breast cancer awareness, has participated in the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk—a 60-mile walk benefiting the Susan G. Komen Foundation—since 2007 after a close friend passed away from breast cancer. She is also Team Captain of the 3-Day walk team: “Valley Girls & Guys.”  Last year, the “Valley Girls & Guys” team was made up of 59 walkers and raised a total of US$142,000. ”Valley Girls & Guys” was also named the second largest fundraising team to participate in Seattle’s Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. This year the team has 86 walkers and a plan to raise US$250,000 dollars, of which, US$158,000 has already been raised. “Valley Girls & Guys” is Seattle’s top fundraising team out of 700 teams doing this year’s event and the second top fundraising team in the U.S. so far.

The Los Angeles unreserved public auction on September 16 will also feature more than 600 other heavy equipment items and trucks. Interested buyers can view the street sweeper and heavy equipment and trucks in the Los Angeles auction yard during regular business hours leading up to the auction and on auction day itself.

HOW TO BID ON THE 2000 ELGIN CROSSWIND AIR/VACUUM SWEEPER

  • Auction location: Ritchie Bros. Los Angeles permanent auction site, 765 West Rider Street, Perris, CA
  • Auction start time: 8:00 a.m. (PST)
  • Auction site phone: +1.951.940.9441
  • Street sweeper will be sold: Thursday, September 16, 2010 (Approximate time: TBA)
  • The auction is open to the public and registration to bid is free. First-time registered bidders are required to place a US$1,000 refundable deposit upon registration.

How to bid:

  • In person at the Los Angeles auction site – register at the site (photo I.D. required)
  • Online in real time – register online several days in advance at www.rbauction.com
  • By proxy – phone the auction site to place a bid prior to the auction (+1.951.940.9441)

About One.7, Inc.
Established in 2005, One.7, Inc. is a street maintenance and environmental equipment specialist based in Ravensdale, Washington. The company is also the largest used sweeper dealer operating in the U.S. to sell and rent used street sweepers and vactor trucks.

About Ritchie Bros.
Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, selling more equipment to on-site and online bidders than any other company in the world. The Company has over 110 locations in more than 25 countries, including 42 auction sites worldwide. Ritchie Bros. sells, through unreserved public auctions, a broad range of used and unused industrial assets, including equipment, trucks and other assets utilized in the construction, transportation, agricultural, material handling, mining, forestry, petroleum and marine industries. The Company maintains a web site at www.rbauction.com and sponsors an equipment wiki at www.RitchieWiki.com.

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ATTENTION MEDIA: The sweeper truck will be transported from the One.7, Inc. yard in Ravensdale, Washington to Ritchie Bros. Los Angeles auction site on Friday, September 20, 2010 starting at 3:00 PST. The sweeper truck will arrive at Ritchie Bros. Los Angeles auction yard on Monday, August 23, 2010.

Media are invited to come and get footage and photos of the sweeper truck being moved from the Ravensdale yard located at 2703 SE Kent-Kangley Road, Ravensdale, WA 98051.Tina McDonough, Owner and President of One.7, Inc. will also be available for media interviews. Please contact her directly at 1.206.793.3175 for additional details and information.

Photos of the white 2000 Elgin Crosswind street sweeper can also be downloaded from http://www.rbauction.com/media. Members of the public and the media can follow Ritchie Bros. on Twitter @RitchieBros

For more information contact:
Kim Schulz, Manager, Corporate Communications, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Phone: +1.778.331.5442 or email kschulz@rbauction.com
Or
Tina McDonough, President/Owner, One.7, Inc.
Cell phone: +1.206.793.3175