MECHANICSBURG – The 4th Annual Mechanicsburg First Responders Car Show will be held on Saturday, Sept. 3 beginning at 11 a.m. in downtown Mechanicsburg. Car registration is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is $10. The event is free to attend.
Other activities will include raffles, silent auction, 50/50, and even “pie your favorite first responder.” The Mechanicsburg Fire & EMS will be selling hamburgers, hot dogs and fresh-cut french fries.
The First Responder Car Show founders Cassie and Roger Brake have always enjoyed attending car shows. The Brakes even have a yellow pickup – which one day will be their daughter’s – that they enter into shows.
The Brakes became interested in hosting a show in Mechanicsburg and wanted it to be a way that they could support an underserved group in the community. After speaking to the village’s mayor and other locals, they decided the village’s first responders would be a great group for the show to support.
The inaugural First Responders Car Show in 2018 had 125 cars that entered. In 2019, the car show expanded and had over 150 cars, and an even bigger donation that could be made to benefit first responders. Like most things, the car show took a break in 2020, but was able to resume last year; 2021’s car show generated a little over $7,000 that was donated to the village’s first responders. Cassie’s goal this year is to be able to donate $10,000.
The First Responders Car Show works with local businesses and others to get sponsorships and items for raffles and silent auctions. Businesses like Dave Kehl Chevrolet, Mechanicsburg Sand and Gravel and the Dayton Dragons are among many that have donated in support of the car show.
This year there are many categories in which participants can win trophies. Categories include best of show, top 45, best motorcycle, best Jeep, farthest driven, most original, best engine and many more.
Cassie said: “Our judges are people that know old cars,” and have a wide variety of preferences and backgrounds. Car show attendees can even vote for their favorites in categories like kids’ choice and people’s choice. The mayor gets to pick his favorite to receive a trophy, and the first responders get a pick as well.
For more information, find the First Responders Car Show page on Facebook and visit their website.
