ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 19, 2012 – Earlier today, a Trusted Choice^®-themed custom motorcycle designed by the renowned Orange County Choppers to raise money for Make-A-Wish was unveiled by Paul “Paul Sr.” Teutul, Sr., Orange County Choppers owner and “American Chopper” star.
 
            “I’m honored that Trusted Choice^® asked me to be part of this,” said Paul Sr. “One of the big things that we have in common is, evidentially, Make-A-Wish. “It really has been an honor for us to make this bike and for everything that it represents.”
 
            The television star has worked with Make-A-Wish to grant more than 50 wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.
 
            Jake Fetty, a Make-A-Wish kid from Atkinsen, N.C., introduced Teutul and Teutul drove the bike into the event. Fetty, now 16, was diagnosed with Astrocytoma and hypopituitarism in 2007 and is legally blind. His wish was to meet “Paul Sr.” and Make-A-Wish facilitated the meeting. 
 
            Fetty shared his wish experience and thanked the Orange County Choppers, Paul Sr., Trusted Choice^® and Make-A-Wish “for their support and for granting my wish.” “From a Wish Kid, I thank them,” he said.
 
            Today’s event was recorded for an upcoming episode of the Discovery Channel television show “American Chopper.” The episode is scheduled to air Sept. 17, 2012.
 
            Trusted Choice^® is the consumer branding program for independent insurance agents and brokers. Remarks were also delivered by Mayor William Euille, City of Alexandria, and David Williams, Make-A-Wish president & CEO, and Robert Rusbuldt, Trusted Choice^®  president and Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America president & CEO.
 
            The chopper will tour across the country with proceeds generated going to Make-A-Wish.
           
            “We are very proud, Trusted Choice^® and the Big ‘I,’ to partner with our adopted charitable organization, Make-A-Wish,” said Rusbuldt. “Independent agents are there to instill confidence and hope in their clients and customers, and that’s what Make-A-Wish does. They’re there for people in their greatest time of need, just like Trusted Choice^® independent insurance agents. So it is a great fit, because we have the same goals to help people be whole again, and to be there at their greatest time of need.”
 
            The event took place at the Alexandria Waterfront Park, next to the Potomac River, in Old Town Alexandria, Va.
                                          
            Event photos are available by request but close-up shots of the bike will not be available until after the episode airs.
           
            Trusted Choice^® will raise money for Make-A-Wish this year through a social media campaign starting in August. For every Facebook page “share” during that month, Trusted Choice^® will donate $10 to Make-A-Wish. A similar social media campaign last year raised more than $170,000. The Facebook campaign will launch a year-long fundraising effort involving the Trusted Choice^® “Chopper for Charity.”
 
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true can have positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illnesses, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Based in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 38 minutes. It has granted more than 212,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; nearly 14,000 in 2011 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish^®.
 
Orange County Choppers builds custom motorcycles for regular riders as well as themed choppers for corporations and is featured on the popular television show “American Chopper,” which is on the Discovery Channel on Monday nights at 9 PM ET/PT. For more information, visit www.orangecountychoppers.com.
 
Trusted Choice^® educates consumers about the benefits of using independent agents and brokers for their insurance needs: choice of companies, customized policies and advocacy support. Trusted Choice^® is the consumer marketing identity for more than 22,000 independent insurance agencies and brokerage firms and 67 leading insurance companies. For more information, go to www.TrustedChoice.com.

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