For car enthusiasts, there are several things to love about cars. Whether it’s the freedom that the cars provide, the different designs of each model, or the various capabilities, the cars create a sense of passion for many people. A Woman Turned Her Passion For Cars Into A Noble Business By Hosting car shows who raise money for children and other charitable causes.
Mel’s Car Shows: turning passion for cars into charitable causes
Melanie Henry, from Pennsylvania, has always had a passion for cars. As reported by WTAJ News“Before Henry could even drive, she knew all about cars from going to shows with her dad. She saw how they have a way of bringing people together.
In 2011, Henry was the Clearfield County Fair Queen and “was asked to host a fundraising event.” She then tapped into her love of cars and hosted a car show. It was then that Henry founded Mel’s Car Shows, with his first show called “Queens for a Cause”.
As detailed on the Mel’s Auto Shows website, ‘Mel was given the opportunity to host a fundraiser. With her love of cars from her father and her love of volunteering from her mother; organizing a car show was her first thought.’ Fun for the Whole Family’ is her slogan and her goal, and she has since used her passion to help communities and organizations in need.
Henry said: “Our goal was to have a very family friendly event. We wanted something that not only would the guys in the car want, but we wanted their wives to come, we wanted their kids to come.
Mel’s Car Shows raised over $125,000 for local charities
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The “Queens for a Cause” fundraising event was a great success. The event raised funds for the Children’s Miracle Network and other local charities. Following the success of the event, Houtzdale Days, an annual community festival, contacted Henry, and “things continued to take off.”
Henry continued: ‘The Madera Fire Company reached out and said, ‘Would you be willing to hold a car show for us?’ He just snowball Of the. Now we have shows in Glenn Hope, Hastings, and new this year we have one in Huntingdon.
Over the past 10 years, Henry has hosted 30 auto shows. She estimates Mel’s Car Shows has helped raise at least $125,000 for local charities. In addition to the Children’s Miracle Network, other organizations that have benefited from auto shows include Easter for Eli and Jameson’s Wish.
“To see what they are able to do with the funds we raise for them is truly remarkable. The number of people they help through my ability to help them is truly wonderful. In the end, it strikes me that all these people were there to have a good time with their cars, but they are also committed to this cause.
– Melanie Henry, Founder of Mel’s Car Shows
Henry’s passion for cars started with his father and his 1959 El Camino
The genesis of Henry’s passion for cars is his father and his 1959 El Camino, which is “like a family heirloom”. His father “pulled the car out of a field in the 1970s and restored it to what it is today”. Henry said: “Whether it was in the garage watching him work on cars or accompanying him to a car show or on a cruise, I got my love of cars from my dad.”
Henry’s love of cars started with his dad and his 1959 El Camino – and has since grown into something much bigger. A childhood curiosity turned into a lifelong passion for cars with noble effort.
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