Warren County High School’s parking lot was full of shiny-bodied cars, both modern and vintage, tuned by their owners with careful consideration, during the recent Project Graduation Car and Truck Show.
All entries competed to be named top of their classes, or to take the coveted Best of Show trophy for best overall.
It was an effort to benefit the Class of 2021’s Project Graduation, a yearly event where the graduating students are locked down on graduation night to enjoy prizes, fun, and games to celebrate their monumental milestone before they move onto the next stage in their life.
Last year, Project Graduation failed to materialize as the nation wrestled with the COVID-19 pandemic, but plans are full throttle this year.
“These kids have had such a horrible senior year because of COVID,” said organizer of the car show Angie Krech. “They haven’t been able to do the fun things they normally get to do as seniors. The Project Graduation event will give these graduating seniors at least one fun memory of their senior year of high school.”
The Car and Truck Show is a fairly new addition to efforts to fund Project Graduation, but it has become a yearly staple and top-performing fundraiser.
Various vendors for both food and merchandise were in attendance, serving up tasty food and offering patrons a range of products to browse through between admiring the vehicles on display. Seniors and parents were on hand and involved, stationed at booths and kiosks to help move the process along and keep the event rolling smoothly.
“I was so proud of all the students who showed up to help with this event. I was especially grateful for all the parents that hung in there with me on the day of the event,” Krech said of her helpers. “It was pretty hectic.”
Between the donations given to nominate vehicles for People’s Choice, a silent auction, and all other fundraising efforts during the show, they managed to net about $3,600 for Project Graduation. This amount is in line with funds generated by the event in 2019.
Glenn Randall walked away with the distinction of Best of Show for his 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS. People’s Choice, determined by the most monetary donations given to a single vehicle, was won by Ron Spitzer with his 2013 Chevrolet Corvette.
