Antique Cars, Charity and My Father

For the past 23 years the 4th of July weekend has had a bit of additional activity for me and my family. While most people associate parades, hot dogs and fireworks with the 4th, it also has a very strong association with antique and classic cars for me.

Twenty three years ago my dad and some friends started the Berkshire Charity Auto Show. The show occurs every year on the Sunday after the 4th of July and is a draw for hundreds of classic and antique cars and thousands of spectators who come to enjoy pristine autos of years past. While everyone enjoys the visual aspect of the show, there is also the incredible benefit of raising money for charity. Over the past two (plus) decades he and his friends have orchestrated this massive undertaking and in the process raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities like the United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs and the American Cancer Society.

While I don’t share quite the same passion for antique and classic cars that my father does, I have to say that I am incredibly impressed by the devotion and effort he puts forth year after year to help other people. Charity is often a virtue lost in modern consumer society, but he holds on strong to that idea and continues to put tremendous effort towards helping others. I am proud of his stewardship and the manner in which he gives of himself to others. I constantly think of the values and virtues that I wish to instill in my son and hope that I can personally provide such a good example of charity to my little boy as he grows up.

Dad, you do a great job, you make a difference in people’s lives and I’m proud of you.