Matching Gift Challenge
Double Your Impact with a $1 for $1 Match up to $1,000,000.
Will and Cary Singleton of Costa Mesa, California, have launched a $1,000,000 matching gift challenge for the inaugural year of the Drivers Circle.
Every dollar you give to Automotive Restoration is matched $1 for $1 now through June 30, 2026 – doubling your impact on students and the craft.
Drivers Circle Giving Form
The Singletons’ connection began when they hired auto restoration alum Matt Goist ’17 as collection manager. Each summer, they host 2 to 3 McPherson interns at the Singleton Collection — a 45,000 square-foot facility focused on American automobiles from the earliest days through the 1970s and beyond. Impressed by McPherson students, they have already hired a former intern full-time and plan to continue as their collection grows. Their match ensures the next generation gains the experience and understanding to carry this tradition forward.
Why Give
Your gift supports:
- Real-world immersion: Internships, industry events, field experiences, and on-campus experts who mentor students.
- More access to modern tooling: Upgrades to shop equipment and teaching spaces so students master both traditional and emerging techniques.
- Funding that reduces student debt: The Automotive Restoration scholarship fund makes education attainable and reduces student debt.
- Faculty at the forefront: Professional development that keeps instruction aligned with current industry methods.
About The Drivers Circle
The Drivers Circle
For 50 years, McPherson College’s Automotive Restoration Program has set the standard for preparing the next generation of leaders, innovators, and artisans in the automotive industry. As the only bachelor’s degree of its kind in North America, the program has become a trusted source for top-tier talent—restoration technicians, fabricators, collection managers, auction specialists, and entrepreneurs who are driving the future of the field.
This remarkable legacy is made possible by a select group of committed donors—the drivers behind the program’s continued excellence. Members of the Drivers Circle fuel student learning, hands-on experience, and innovation by supporting essential components of the program: from scholarships and tools to internships and faculty development.
Our graduates power the automotive industry. Drivers Circle members power the program itself, ensuring McPherson continues to lead the way for the next 50 years and beyond.
All donors to the Automotive Restoration Program are members of The Drivers Circle and receive regular updates about the program and the twice-a-year Flywheel magazine.
Smokey’s Club – the Alumni Giving Club
Gaines “Smokey” Billue
Gaines “Smokey” Billue was the spark behind McPherson College’s Automotive Restoration program. A larger-than-life local entrepreneur with a signature cowboy hat and a passion for collecting—especially cars—Smokey was a true original. He had the foresight to see that the heritage skills needed to care for collectible automobiles were fading fast, and he believed they were worth preserving. Thanks to his vision, generations of students have passed through our shop doors, shaping the national reputation that McPherson alumni enjoy across the industry today.
In honor of his legacy, Smokey’s Club is just for you—our alumni. It’s a way to carry forward Smokey’s spirit of camaraderie, generosity, and love for the craft. Whether you’re wrenching in a garage, managing a collection, or mentoring the next generation, joining Smokey’s Club is your chance to stay connected, give back, and help fuel the future of automotive restoration
Gift Designations
Automotive Restoration Fund
Support the student scholarship fund, student industry immersion trips, career workshops and events, faculty development, and classroom/shop materials.
Red Wrench Tool & Equipment Fund
Almost 170 students use the labs throughout the week, so access to tools and equipment is critical. Our Red Wrench Fund supports every lab in the shop and is developed based on a priority list created by faculty.