Andrews – Veterans of Foreign Wars 7620 held its sixth annual Hot Summer Nights Car Show & Fundraiser on Saturday along Main Street downtown.
Post Commander Scott Ramler said the VFW had a total of 34 cars entered, with a smaller number this year due to concerns about the erratic weather and other car shows in the area.
With attendance well in the hundreds, folks strolled Main Street to take in both new and vintage cars and trucks.
With a more scaled-down event, the post had only one food truck present this year, giving visitors a chance to patron downtown’s several restaurants, according to volunteer Anita Welch.
Too, the Valley River Humane Society was in attendance with 10 cats and 5 dogs available for adoption. Office manager Carol Reagan said even if people didn’t come prepared to take the animals home immediately, they will sometimes stop by the shelter in Marble once they’ve met an animal to begin the adoption process.
Also in attendance were massage therapist Kristina Biggs, giving mini-massage sessions to those suffering from potential gear-head envy and stress, and Snowie of the Mountains to provide some cool treats to beat the late summer heat.
Mark Dockery had his “Johnny Cash” Jeep hood-up for inspection and said that it was just like the song: made one piece at a time, with its 1987 frame, 1994 body, Ford rear and Chevy engine. Dockery also noted its Marine green paint job on the vehicle that he said took him two years to restore.
Dockery also said he is working on restoring two other vehicles, including a 1990 Chevrolet Suburban and a 1971 K-10 Chevrolet truck, both of which he hopes to have done by next year’s show.
In the vintage category, Piet van Rossum had his 1964 Volkswagen Bus in all its tie-dyed glory on display along with his 3-year-old German Shepherd Tasha. van Rossum, who also restores classic vehicles in his locally known Silver Star Restorations garage along Highway 19 in Topton, specializes in both work on and sales of parts for foreign models of Mercedes-Benz along with a wide range of VWs. van Rossum said this particular bus took him 8 years in his spare time to restore while he’s owned it for 12.
Also attending to provide information for veterans were Wings of Freedom’s Trevor McIntyre and Missions In Laos’ Susan Crosby.
McIntyre’s group is “a nonprofit traveling museum dedicated to preserving the history of American military aviation” based in north Georgia which regularly makes appearances at annual events such as Andrews’ Welcome Home at Western Carolina Regional Airport.
Crosby, an investigative researcher, was on hand to provide information about MIL, which conducts “ongoing research of those who were MIA during the Vietnam War” and also assists “with planning travel to Laos for anyone who wants to honor someone MIA” as well as providing “humanitarian aid to remote villages” in the country.
Typically, the annual show raises monies from entrance fees and T-shirt sales to support national VFW programs in local schools, including Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy, which help teach middle and high schoolers about basic themes of America’s founding and democratic principles as outlined in the U.S. Constitution.
These programs provide students an opportunity to write essays at the local level with support from
each local VFW post, which then can be entered at regional, state and national levels.
Ramler said the post also uses funds raised to provide aid for local veterans in need and to complete various projects for individuals and community organizations.
Andrews VFW Post 7620 also welcomes new members and veterans to visit the post for coffee on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.