By Deacon Sal Lema
In what has been a rather cold winter here in Sun City came a beautiful day of warmth and sunshine, the perfect day for St. Elizabeth Seton’s very first Seton Classic, Car Show Cruise-in. I can say without a doubt that the week prior was very unsettling in the weather department, so the committee was on virtual pins and needles. But let’s face it, would God want a Catholic Church to miss out on such a fun experience over a little weather? Certainly Not! God is Good, all the time!
With a request from Fr. Kilian, and the sponsorship of both the Knights of Columbus and Robin Clarke, parishioner and owner of Pressure Sensitive Products, we had the assistance we needed to develop and run our first show. After a volunteer meeting, a committee was formed.
The committee was not a mere bunch of volunteers, they were a crack group of near perfectionists to be sure. They met every Thursday for over a month to make sure all the T’s were crossed and the i’s dotted. From the beginning as soon as a flyer was built, they began to get the word out by going to many car shows and cruise-in‘s around the valley and giving out our flyers. While doing this right up to the show, teams worked on getting the necessary items for the show. From pop up tents, a PA system, signs, and even disclaimers to protect the parish, all had been purchased and or developed. The equipment was tested and re-tested to be sure all worked well. the team assembled two days prior to make sure all was in readiness for the big day. They divided into teams, with each team handling a particular detail. From getting and setting up the signs, to preparing the 150 donuts and coffee, to running the 50/50 raffle and door prizes, setting up tents and closing up after, this committee did a yeomen’s job and deserve a ton of credit. I thank them for all their effort.
At 8:30 am in the morning, a half-hour prior to the start of the show, the cars started to come in. Counting the committee members classics, we had 55 cars at this show. Along with these classics St. Vincent de Paul received $183 dollars in cash and 43 bags consisting of food and non-food items. Money was also donated to our youth which will be used for the next Vacation Bible School, this summer.
One of the highlights of our first Seton Classic was that of blessing any classic car that the owners requested. Our deacons were on hand as many took advantage of this opportunity.
Save the Date. Plans are underway for our next Seton Classic cruise-in to be held Saturday, September 16th. Until that time the committee will be reviewing the past show, taking suggestions and coming up with an even more exciting event featuring something for everyone, classic car owners, parishioner’s and all visitors from far and wide.
See you in September!
