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The 2016 North American International Auto Show kicked off Friday night with the Charity Preview, which grossed $5.2 million to benefit children's charities.

The event, established by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association and held at Cobo Center, has raised $105.2 million since the gala’s creation in 1976.

“This week we celebrate the brilliance of the auto industry; tonight we celebrated the heart of the auto industry,” said NAIAS Chairman Paul Sabatini in a news release. “That Charity Preview was established by a group of Detroit-area auto dealers, and has grown to one of the most high-profile events in the nation, makes it even more special to me.”

An estimated 13,075 people attended the gala that was this year presented by Axalta Coating Systems.

Show organizers said 13,350 people attended last year's black-tie event, raising $5.34 million — the most since 2008, when the event grossed $6 million

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

The NAIAS will be open to the public at 9 a.m. Saturday.