Grand Dominion Car Show celebrates a decade of giving back to the community
The 10th annual Cruisin' with the Classics Car Show will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, at Grand Dominion, 3555 Grand Dominion Circle, Mundelein.
Ten years ago, Bob Giles had an idea. Grand Dominion by Del Webb had just been built in Mundelein as a 55-and-older community, and he was one of the first to buy a home there. The management was looking for ways their community could bond together with a common interest. Some of the residents created clubs and groups of all kinds: bridge clubs, tennis, knitting, bocce ball and more.
Giles' idea was to create a car show that might interest his neighbors and benefit the less fortunate within the surrounding communities.
His love of muscle, antique and classic cars led him to create this free car show that would potentially raise funds and collect food and school supplies for a local, yet-to-be-chosen, nonprofit organization.
Bob; his wife Sally; and his new friends Sam Ritchie and his wife Kay, Doug MacArthur, and with Lifestyle Director of Grand Dominion Tracy Citrano, put their collective talents together and started the first Cruisin' with the Classics Car Show at Grand Dominion in 2007.
The first several Grand Dominion car show events proved that charging the car owners an entry fee did not allow the event to attract attendees, meet its expenses and still provide the selected recipient nonprofit organization of the event with a significant donation.
A formal club within Grand Dominion was formed with an increasing membership and involvement from within the ever-growing Grand Dominion community.
In addition, the car show club reached out to many of Mundelein's businesses to help fund and support the event, thereby allowing them to meet their expenses. In addition, local business owners went out of their way to donate items or services that could be raffled off to the attendees that provided cash funds for the organization of choice, which turned out to be the Fremont Food Pantry.
With the help and generosity of the local businesses, the result of this new format was that the event had grown substantially. Not only did it help provide more assistance in the form of cash, food and school supplies to the Fremont Food Pantry, but it gave more exposure to the businesses that helped sponsor and donate to the car show event.
The show features muscle and classic cars and other vehicles, as well as exceptionally rare and museum-quality cars and vehicles on display.
Food, ice cream, popcorn and soft drinks will be available for purchase. Entertainment includes music throughout the day, roving entertainers, games for children, a DJ, fire engine rides and more. A 50/50 raffle will be held, as well as a raffle of numerous gifts/donations from local businesses.
Free Show Dash Plaques will be given to the first 100 car registrants, and trophies will be awarded to the winners in five different classes, as well as the People's Choice Category.
According to Giles, last year's event featured more than 230 car owners and attracted more than 900 people. There is no registration or admission fee for the event.
"All we ask is to have each attendee bring something to help our cause ... The Fremont Food Pantry," Giles said.
"We request them to bring nonperishable food. School supplies, too. And money, cash or check, to donate to this wonderful nonprofit organization who help so many people in this area we all live in. For every $1 cash donation, one nonperishable food product and school supply people bring, they will receive a raffle ticket that will give them a chance to win the grand prize of a $300 Visa gift card."
This year's theme is "A Decade of Super Cars for a Super Cause! - Help Us Help the Fremont Food Pantry!"
According to Diana O'Kelly, Fremont Township supervisor, "The largest annual fundraiser that supports our Fremont Township Food Pantry is the car show at Grand Dominion."
"The owners of the cars that come to our show, as well as those attending to see them, are some of the most generous and concerned individuals we have ever met. Every year we try to display one-of-a-kind, as well as rare and exotic cars, at the event. This year we are honored to have the following cars scheduled for display: a 1961 Aston Martin DB5, 1954 Arnold Bristol, Ferrari 458 Italia, two Ford GTs and a 1967 Mustang GT 500 Super Swap," Giles said.
"As we did last year, we will have the help of Grand Dominion's newest Lifestyle director, Julie McFarlin, who can be reached at (847) 566-2403, or email GrandDLD@fosterpremier.com. We are always looking for business sponsors and donors as well.
"Remember, this show is all for the sake of benefiting the Fremont Food Pantry with food, school supplies and money."