DETROIT, Mich., Jan. 12, 2012 - The Buzz is Back at Detroit's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2012, and Fridays Charity Preview event will celebrate the excitement and enthusiasm felt all week at Detroit's Cobo Center.

Charity Preview, Detroits premier black-tie gala, will be held tomorrow at NAIAS, and is expected to raise more than $3 million. Charity Preview is sponsored by Charter One, part of the RBS group, and is the largest single night fundraiser in North America.

It's been absolutely electric at NAIAS this week thanks to the fantastic vehicle introductions that have been presented on our world stage, said Bill Perkins, chairman, NAIAS 2012. "Extensive auto show coverage has been seen in media outlets around the world. Our show and our city have been positioned as winners, and we are very, very proud of that."

Perkins said NAIAS Charity Preview is the perfect way to celebrate the fact that the buzz is back in the industry in general, and in the show, in particular.

Charity Preview is a very special evening for all of us in the Detroit area, said Perkins. We'll have entertainment, professional athletes and celebrities to help us celebrate an evening of giving, all with the backdrop of some of the greatest new vehicles revealed for the first time ever right here in 'The D.'

Perkins said on Tuesday of this week, sales of Charity Preview tickets had already exceeded last year's total sales of 10,649. Show organizers said they expect to reach a 20 percent total increase in ticket sales over the 2011 event, a sign if the improving economy and excitement created by the auto show.

"I want to encourage everyone to come experience one of the most special evenings anywhere in the world," he said. "Buy your tickets today, or buy them tomorrow, but please come join us in support of the children's charities of Southeastern Michigan."

Tickets for Charity Preview are $250, $240 of which is tax deductible. Proceeds from this elegant event that mixes glamour and everything automotive, support vital services for children in the Detroit metro area. Since 1976 the NAIAS Charity Preview has raised over $84 million for southeast Michigan children's charities - over $33 million of which was raised in the last seven years alone.

Charity Preview tickets can be purchased on-line now at charitypreview.com or for more information, call 888-838-7500.

Beneficiaries of the Charity Preview include: Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Detroit, The Children's Center, Judson Center, The Detroit Institute for Children, Think Detroit PAL, March of Dimes, Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation, and the DADA Charitable Foundation Fund, a fund of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

NAIAS Sponsors
The NAIAS would like to thank its premier sponsors: Delta Air Lines, DENSO, Johnson Controls, KPMG, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michelin, ZF Group, as well as its official sponsors: AutoTrader.com, ion Television, MSN Autos, Panasonic Automotive, and Schaeffler. Charter One, part of the RBS group, is the Presenting Sponsor of Charity Preview.

About the North American International Auto Show
Entering its 24th year as an international event, the NAIAS is among the most prestigious auto shows in the world, providing unparalleled access to the automotive products, people and ideas that matter most - up close and in one place. One of the largest media events in North America, the NAIAS is the only auto show in the United States to earn an annual distinguished sanction of the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles, the Paris-based alliance of automotive trade associations and manufacturers from around the world.

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Press Preview - Monday-Tuesday, January 9-10, 2012
Industry Preview - Wednesday-Thursday, January 11-12, 2012
Charity Preview - Friday, January 13, 2012
Public Show - Saturday-Sunday, January 14-22, 2012