Kane sheriff wants final charity car show to finish strong
Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez said it's been bittersweet this year preparing for his charity car show.
That's because Perez is not seeking another term in office, so the Aug. 30 will be his eighth and final one.
And it could very well be the largest, too, as Perez has garnered support from sheriffs in Kendall and DeKalb counties.
About $10,000 a year has been raised through the show, but Perez is hoping to top that for this year's charity, the Make A Wish Foundation.
"We could really blow that out of the water in terms of raising money for charity if we did a tri-county area show," Perez said.
As in past years, the show will be held at the Martin Family Farm, 2S111 Green Road, Elburn.
Registration is from 9 to noon, and the show is noon to 3 p.m.
The entry fee is $10 and it's $5 per carload of spectators. Categories include stock cars, modified cars, motorcycles, pre-1949, muscle cars and more.
Other attraction include a 50-50 raffle, food, a DJ and prizes.
Perez said the charity car show has raised about $70,000 over seven years.
"It's bittersweet. It's a lot of work when we do it," Perez said. "It's a good way for us to bond with the community. From that standpoint, I'll miss it. It's making me realize the clock is ticking."
Last year, Perez reached out and got support from Kendall County Sheriff Richard Randall.
This year, Perez contacted DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott's office in late spring.
"We don't do a lot of these. But (Perez) just reached out to us and asked," Scott said. "He's going out of office and he wants to go out with a big bang. It wasn't a hard sell at all. Pat has a great motive for the program and he wants to help people."
Perez said sponsorships, which provide for the bulk of the fundraising, are still available.
For more information, call (630) 208-2003.
The rain date is Aug. 31 with the same time for registration and viewing. If the weather looks bad, updates will be provided on kanesheriff.com.