It was an honor to be a guest judge at the 2nd Annual James K. Polk CARS FOR KIDS Car and Truck Show right outside of Charlotte in Pineville, North Carolina on May 9th. The show was hosted at the James K. Polk Masonic Lodge #757 and was a day filled with great people, sunshine and beautiful cars all in support of the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford!
For me, one of the best things about going to events (besides supporting a cause), is meeting so many unique people, and the Cars for Kids Car & Trucks Show was no exception!
As a guest judge, my responsibility was to select 20 of my favorite cars. It was a challenging job to be tasked with, as I would have liked to choose all of them! Fortunately, I was paired with a great man from the lodge who assisted in the narrowing process.
Coincidentally, the show organizer paired me with a gentleman who I happened to share a last name with. Mr. Morris McIntosh, a Charlotte native, was a delightful character and also took great pride in being a McIntosh. We spoke not only about cars but also about our family origins and “clans”. I learned about Rural Hill, the 265-acre farm and historic site in Huntersville, North Carolina that hosts a Scottish Festival, other cultural events, festivals and more. I’ve definitely got this landmark on my Charlotte area to-do list and am thankful for the great conversations I had with Morris!
Possibly the best and cutest part of the day was awarding 4-year-old Bentley Strange a Top-20 mug for showing off his little hot rod! His Grandfather was also recognized in the top-20 category for his beautiful 1969 Chevrolet Camaro.
A huge thank you to show organizer Cody Gustafson and Kevin Fox for inviting me and treating me so well! I look forward to being a part of this show for years to come and hope to see it continue to grow each year!
The show had a great deal of awesome sponsors, so I want to thank them for their support. Being a part of a sponsor-driven industry, I am happy any time I see an event with a great deal of support, especially when it’s for a great cause!
Thank you supporters!
– Louis Balducci’s “I’m Burnin’ For You!” Custom Glass Etching and Wood Work
– Advance Auto Parts [Tega Cay, SC & South Charlotte, NC]
– Carolina Speedway
– Hooters of South Charlotte
– Invisible Glass
– Painless Performance Products
– Hagerty Insurance
– Summit Racing Equipment
– Meguiar’s
– Sta-Bil
– Magnaflow
– Indiana Classic Trophy Co., Inc.