On Saturday August 21, 2021, Veterans Development Corporation, Inc. hosted our first annual Classic Car Show which benefited the Wild Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Program, a group that employs “Healing through Horsemanship” to help our veterans of all ages and levels of need transition back into society.
Before I discuss the event, I want to take a moment to shout out to the key players who make up the family at Veterans Development Corporation, Inc. and that made this event possible. Starting with company CEO Mark Voner, himself a highly decorated service disabled veteran, whose dedication to veterans is legendary. Many people are aware of some of his philanthropic activities, however very few know that he is behind the scenes of countless other organizations and avenues that benefit our veterans and the community in general.
We cannot thank Ashley Voner enough for her tireless efforts and heavy lifting, nor can we adequately thank the rest of the team who stepped up in any way they could. Brittany and Mary, Janet, Sara, Amanda, Marissa, Julie, Kevin, Nick, Tim, Jon, Muaoz, and Chris all donated their time and talents to make this event the unqualified success that it was, and Mr. Voner could not be more proud of them.
The display cars started showing up around 8:30 and the event started at 10:00. In all, about three dozen beautiful cars were on display to include a classic from the 1930’s, and then the 1950’s -1980’s up to some future classics of today. We also had several nice bikes on display as well courtesy of Rolling Thunder who had a team on hand to discuss what their organization does.
Some of the vehicles were in show room condition and others were still works in progress; all of them added a great deal to the event.
All of the visitors were able to view the cars, chat with the owners, take photos, and enjoy the beautiful, if very warm August afternoon while deciding which of the owners was going home with the coveted first place trophy.
One of the great highlights of the day was the reason for the event, and that was to raise much needed funds for this year’s beneficiary. With generous donations from VFW Post #1105 and the Marine Corp League Charles J Sutt Detachment, both of which were well represented by several their members, the event generated in excess of $15,000.
And then of course there were the great raffles and prizes. Many local businesses donated gift certificates which were compiled in a basket and one lucky winner is going to be eating in some great restaurants for quite a while. There was also a “bouquet” of Scratch lottery tickets that has the potential for an additional donation down the road. And of course, a basket of car care products was also raffled.
First place went to Bob Lundell and his aptly named car “Chromaro”, a beautifully modified 1967 Camaro, which is always a crowd favorite.
There was something for the little ones as well. “Goats to Go” brought along several goats which could be fed and petted, and they also had two of the sweetest Australian Sheep Dogs I’ve ever seen. And off to the side were a couple of Corn Hole set ups for people to practice their tossing skills.
And of course, it was great to have Engine #4 from the Norwell Fire Department on hand to support the cause. We cannot thank them enough.
All in all, this was a great day for us and our partners which was enjoyed by all, and we are looking forward to next year when the event will be even bigger and better.