The Garden City Telegram
NEW E-Edition!
Subscription
Required
Add Your Comment | Read (0) Comments
Drive-in Donations
Published 8/14/2010 in Local News
Organization raises funds in '50s fashion.
By SHAJIA AHMAD
Only a few of the hundreds of folks in downtown Garden City were dressed in '50s garb, outside the Laurel Street entrance to Traditions Soda and Sandwich Shoppe.
In true 1950s fashion, however, dozens of convertibles, trucks, antique show cars and even a few motorcycles lined Laurel Street for a few hours as part of the Emmaus House's last cruise-in this summer to raise funds for the shelter home on Eighth Street.
Robin Marsh, the shelter's director, said the 1950s theme at Friday night's cruise-in served in part as an ode to the classic car show and in part as a grand-opening for the soda shop, where waiters served up a few 1950s-priced items for patrons dressed from the era.
"It's also kind of like a grand-opening for Traditions," Marsh said, referring to Mike Wade's takeover of Traditions, 121 W. Grant Ave., earlier this year. "Cruise-ins and cars were all about the good ole days, and so is Traditions."
This was the last of four cruise-in fundraisers for the shelter home. Marsh said cruise-ins also had been held in May, June and July, and that the Emmaus House will be hosting their largest fundraiser, its eighth annual car show, at the Finney County Fairgrounds from Oct. 29 through 31.
The entry fee to showcase a car Friday night was either $5 or a case of food, and Marsh said Friday that most entrants brought cash instead of food.
The director of the shelter, which offers free food boxes for families twice weekly and a place to stay for handful of patrons each night, said most folks know the shelter can purchase food for much cheaper through the Kansas Food Bank than purchasing donations themselves.
Among Friday night's car lovers, Garden City resident Luke Schwieterman brought along his 1936 Chevrolet truck that once carried grain on his in-laws' farm.
On the back of the crimson red street rod, Schwieterman turned an old beer keg into the gas tanks.
This is the third year the president of Schwieterman, Inc., a local commodity brokerage firm, has been taking part in the summer cruise-ins that help raise funds for the Emmaus House.
"(Marsh) does a tremendous job. It's a really nice organization and I'm really proud of them. I'm glad somebody takes care of this in our community," he said.
The eighth annual Emmaus House indoor car show — Cool Nights, Hot Cars — will be held Oct. 29 through 31 at the Finney County Fairgrounds. Marsh said the Emmaus House fundraising committee, which raised $26,000 from last year's car show, is still looking for entries.
Interior spaces at the fairgrounds' exhibition building are limited. For more information, call Laurie Gerber at 521-6262, Steve Marsh at 521-0039, or Steve Gerber at 521-4010.
In addition, raffle tickets to win a 1996 Pontiac Firebird convertible are still available for purchase at the Emmaus House, 802 N. Fifth St. in Garden City. The drawing for the convertible will be held Oct. 31 at the car show.
Found 0 comment(s)!