A beautiful day was in store for all the participants at Jan’s Cruiz-In Thanksgiving Car & Truck Show at Trinity Village, with temperatures in the mid 70’s, and not a cloud in the sky. It was almost a perfect day! A cool 5-10 knot wind out of the northeast required a jacket or sweater, but the event surely was not one to be missed. Jan and her staff; Norma, Carlean, Marge, Bev and Gary were all prepared and ready to go early in the day to greet the attendees. Those arriving early were treated to donuts and coffee compliments of Dunkin Donuts. The registration fee was reduced if participants donated a bag of canned goods or non-perishable food to the Center for Domestic Violence. Jan’s Cruiz-In shows have supported this Center for as long as I can remember, and the generosity was apparent, as $1,300 in food and cash donations were collected that day.
Jan’s Cruiz-In shows are always a special affair, and her generosity for the attendees is as unselfish as her show’s generosity to the Center for Domestic Violence. There were countless numbers of door prizes to be won, dash plaques for the first 70 participants, live entertainment, and for this show with the help of Jamie from the Tampa Bay Property Management, vendors who supplied free samples and merchandise. Merchants from Trinity Village, which has a wonderful old style downtown shopping environment, provided samples, gift certificates, and coupons from Bonefish Grille, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Smoothie King, Turtles Nest, and the American Automobile Association. Throughout the show employees of these businesses walked around offering samples of shrimp, chicken, smoothies of different flavors, soft drinks, and discount coupons. I literally couldn’t walk the show field without being asked if I would like to try something, seemingly every 5 minutes or so! A great band called “Shout” provided some special live entertainment with their 50’s and 60’s tunes, and had a lot of people swinging to the beat. They were rockin’, and it was terrific!
Around 3:00pm or so the Center for Domestic Violence arrived and loaded up all the generous food that was donated. That was followed by the awards presentation. Three “Best Of The Best” awards were given, followed by twenty Best Of awards, and Top 20 awards. The show concluded when a 50/50 number was drawn, with the lucky individual walking away with $235.
All in all it was a great show for a worthy cause, with splendid weather, happy faces, and full bellies. What more could you ask for? If you’d like information on upcoming Jan’s Cruiz-In Car Show keep an eye on the Coming Attractions section of Mike Kelly’s Cruise News, or contact Jan by calling 727-841-9122 or E-Mail janscruizin@yahoo.com. CN
Best Of The Best:
Pre-1979: Anthony Maduri • 1932 Ford Hiboy
1980-1995: Don Roden • 1987 Chevy El Camino
1996-2009: Bob Crockett • 2002 Camaro SS
Top 20 Winners:
Tom Winslow • 1939 Ford Sedan
Bud Hopkins • 1951 Chevy
Frank & Mary Manzo • 1964 Corvette
John & Margaret Schmidt • 1941 Willys
Charles Dorne • 1958 Chevy Impala Convertible
Gary Scheerbaum • 1968 Buick Gran Sport
Ken Doherty • 1968 Chevelle SS
Kim G. • 1940 Ford Golf Cart
Manny Armetta • 2006 Mustang GT
Dennis Markwell • 1968 American Motors AMX
Jerry Cutchens • 1935 Dodge
Troy Helton • 1968 Chevelle SS
Gary Courtney • 1974 AMC Gremlin
Bev Smith • 1951 Mercury
Jay White • 1964 Corvette
Tom & Rosemary • 1996 Corvette
Gus & Sue • 1998 Corvette
Dean • 1936 Mercedes Replica
