“It’s hard to be bad,” Mike Denkers replied when asked how he was doing. As I conversed with the head of War Chest Partners, a real estate and construction company, and an Eccles Foundation trustee, I quickly understood what the 29-year-old Utah resident meant. Mike and his dad Steve are, among other endeavors, car enthusiasts. They are also CF200 members and fans of the Petersen Automotive Museum.
It’s not too much of a secret that the Petersen provides not only cars but also a sense of community for those who appreciate all aspects of the automobile. And Mike can appreciate that. “The car community,” he says, “is very unique and amazing. It’s something I definitely take for granted because when I have a non-car friend who sees the connections and things I gotta go do just because I love cars, they’re like, ‘Why the hell am I not into cars?'” And with a neverending sense of duty to provide for those less fortunate, the Petersen Foundation and the esteemed Eccles family, of which Mike and Steve are descendants, are a match of altruistic synergy.
