Credit: Claire Gunning
Thirty local and out-of-state entrants participated in the Pine Plains Car Show on Sept 2 at the firehouse. Attendees could inspect cars and trucks of different makes and models, some with hoods up to boast clean, polished engines, others with windows rolled down for a good view of maple steering wheels. Only one of the entries was for sale: a 1932 Chevy Coupe belonging to Bud Hill of Pine Plains. (No word yet on whether it sold.) Best in show went to Al Benson’s 1961 Impala, nicknamed The Survivor—it still has its original paint job.
The car show, co-sponsored by Pine Plains American Legion Post 426 and VFW Post 5519, raised money for Wreaths Across America (WAA). “We’ve hosted fundraising dinners for WAA, but this is the first time we’re putting on one of our car shows for them,” said Bob Clinch, a former commander of the VFW post. Donations to the national nonprofit organization are used to purchase wreaths to decorate veterans’ gravesites, placed every December. “We laid 525 in Evergreen Cemetery last winter,” noted former Legion post commander George Keeler. “This year we’re hoping to raise enough money for 80 additional wreaths, to place on the vets’ graves who are buried in Vedders Cemetery [in Gallatin].”
Credit: Claire Gunning
Carol Hart, who directs the local WAA chapter, worked in the food tent during the car show. At day’s end she was exhausted but elated. “We made $700 which is a grand total of 61 wreaths!” Hart said. “There are so many generous people in our community.” She noted that the 50/50 raffle winner donated the money to WAA—enough to buy eight more wreaths.