Hundreds of festival attendees visited the FMA Foundation booth at On the Waterfront in Rockford, Ill., last weekend to view the bobber style motorcycle designed by Matt Hotch, and buy a raffle ticket to try and win that one-of-a-kind cycle. Only one person went home a winner, Lukasz Dubienczuk of Loves Park, Ill.

When the call went out to Dubienczuk from FMA Foundation director, Terrence Egan, he couldn’t believe it was real. “I had to really convince him I wasn’t just a friend who was playing a prank,” Egan said. “Once he realized the call was legitimate, he was thrilled about winning.”

The proceeds from the raffle will be used to fund scholarships for students who are studying to pursue careers in manufacturing. Scholarships are awarded for both college-degree programs and trade school programs. In 2007 twenty-nine scholarships were awarded by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association and its Foundation, totaling more than $125,000.

Based in Rockford, Ill., the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International is a professional organization with more than 2,000 members working together to improve the metal forming and fabricating industry. Founded in 1970, FMA brings metal fabricators and fabricating equipment manufacturers together through technology councils, educational programs, networking events and the FABTECH International/AWS Welding Show. FMA also has a technology affiliate, the Tube & Pipe Association, International (TPA), which focuses on the unique needs of companies engaged in tube and pipe producing and fabricating. Complete information about the FMA can be found at www.fmanet.org. The FMA Foundation is a charitable organization that offers grants to not-for-profit organizations and educational institutions introducing young people to metal forming careers in manufacturing, provides funding to organizations starting or expanding manufacturing camps for youth, and issues scholarships to students at colleges and trade schools pursuing careers in manufacturing. More information on the foundation is available by visiting www.fma-foundation.org.