John Gunby, golf pro at The Club at Prescott Lakes, is usually a happy-go-lucky guy, but one day when Michele Hamer saw him, he was obviously upset.
He explained to her that he had just returned from a meet with the Special Olympics in Phoenix and it was so hot that several of his athletes had seizures. There was no shade. Their super old stop watch stopped halfway through a track competition and the rest of their equipment was old and rusty.
Hamer’s response: “Well, let’s have a car show.”
Now, while it seems like a strange response to the money problems of the local Special Olympics, Michele and her husband, Tony, knew exactly how to raise funds. They had traveled the world covering car shows for The New York Times when it owned about.com. They knew what made a car show good and what made it not so good.
“In six months, we had 130 beautiful classic automobiles and the $17,000 we raised went directly to the athletes.”
“Last year, we made $20,000. This year we are hoping for $25,000.”
The very first thing they bought after the first car show were pop-up tents for shade for the athletes, Gunby said.
“This past year, we bought shot puts. Ours were rusty and they got rust all over their hands,” he said. “We bought stop watches. It pays for lanes of bowling and celebrations like pizza parties.”
Mostly, Gunby is grateful because it means that the 235 local Special Olympians can compete in as many sports as they want.
“I just think we ought to work with the angels of the earth,” he said. “They put life in perspective. They live one day at a time, one moment at a time. They don’t worry about the past or the future. They are just fun to be around. They are just great people.”
Trish and David Spence are looking forward to the event, known as the SC4SA (Special Cause fore Special Athletes) Concourse de Elegance.
“This is a high quality concourse and different from other car shows,” said David Spence, who owns the Prescott Flower Shop with his wife, Trish.
He said they will show their 1939 Graham at the event.
“It is a super charged car from the factory. It is a rare car you don’t see at the normal car show. It will be with other cars you don’t always see,” Spence said.
Another thing he likes about this event is that most of the proceeds are returned to the athletes, unlike some other charities that spend a great deal on overhead.
The car show is held on the 18th fairway of the golf course at The Club at Prescott Lakes.
Not only will there be 150 classic cars to view, there will be much more.
“The big thing to remember is we are going to have a good time and there are lots of things for people who don’t do the car show,” Hamer said “There will be entertainment, vendors, prizes and a fashion show on the beautiful 18th green with the waterfall.”
“Alice Cooper, the last two years, has given a signed guitar as part of our raffle,” Hamer said. “Barrett Jackson donated VIP tickets to the 2017 Scottsdale event, which is a $2,700 value,” she said.
A trip to Cabo San Lucas is up for grabs, as well.
The event is hosted by The Club at Prescott Lakes and supported by the Southwest Section of the PGA foundation with the help of numerous volunteers.
All donations are tax deductible. Hamer said there will be “People’s Choice” judging and a special “Athlete’s Choice,” so they can pick their favorite car.
This year’s event is set from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 9, at The Club at Prescott Lakes, 315 E. Smoke Tree Lane in Prescott.
Admission is free, but there is a $5 fee per car for parking. Anyone who wants to enter a classic car can do so until 150 have been signed up or the end of September, whichever comes first, said Hamer. QCBN
By Patty McCormac, QCBN
To learn more, call 928-237-7323 or visit sc4sa.org.
Courtesy photo
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