Some fabulous flivvers (like this wood-bodied 1910 Ford Model T) have been featured in past editions of the annual Auto Show and Motorcycle Meet at Middletown Shopping Center. The ninth annual event chugs into the Route 35 plaza on Saturday, October 11.
Press release from Middletown Lions Club
For the ninth consecutive year, the New Jersey Blind Citizens Association (NJBCA) and the Middletown Lions Club Foundation will co-host a charitable and family-friendly Auto Show and Motorcycle Meet in the parking lot of Middletown Shopping Center, located at the intersection of Route 35 and New Monmouth Road. Scheduled for the hours of 2 to 6 pm on Saturday, October 11 (with a rain date of Sunday, October 12), the event which will help fund programs for the blind and visually-impaired and other sight-related initiatives.
Members of the public are invited to attend the free afternoon of activities which will feature show cars of all types, motorcycles, vendors, and entertainment for adults and children. All classes of vehicles — including classic, stock, custom, antique, hot rod, collector, imports, luxury, muscle, and trucks — are encouraged to enter, in addition to all classes of motorcycles. All event proceeds will support the charitable programs and initiatives of both NJBCA and the Middletown Lions Club Foundation.
As New Jersey’s oldest organization serving and advocating for the blind and visually-impaired, NJBCA offers a range of supportive programs and activities — including a fine arts program which encourages participants to express themselves through drawing, painting, and sculpture; a computer training program which teaches members about computer literacy and the use of the internet and email; a peer support group to foster coping skills relative to the challenges and issues associated with vision loss; an award-winning crochet group which garnered several awards at the Monmouth County Fair last year, and a garden club, as well as other special events scattered throughout the year. Programs are offered at Camp Happiness, the main headquarters and day campus located at 18 Burlington Avenue in the Leonardo section of Middletown. The phone number is (732)291-0878.
Since 1946, the Middletown Lions Club, a charitable service organization chartered under Lions International, has helped individuals and families in need both locally and globally through various charitable service and fundraising initiatives. Lions consider themselves ‘Knights of the Blind’ and were directly challenged by Helen Keller to adopt blindness as a cause. A signature club initiative is the all-volunteer vision screening team, the “Knights of Sight,” who are trained to provide free vision screenings to elementary school children. The team uses specialized cameras to perform the screenings. To date, over 6,000 students in local school districts such as Middletown Township, Red Bank, Hazlet Township, and Matawan-Aberdeen have been tested. The club also underwrites the cost of free eye exams, eyeglasses, and hearing aids for those who qualify financially.
Entrance fee for the October 11 is $12 in advance for pre-registered vehicles and motorcycles, and $15 on the day of the show. Awards will be presented at the event, and registration forms are available on the websites of the Middletown Lions Club at www.mlions.org and the NJBCA at www.njbca.org. Information is available by contacting Event Chair Craig Finnegan by phone at (732)856-2821, or email at [email protected].
Business sponsorship and advertising opportunities are available at various levels from $100 to $500, and vendor spots are $50. The event attracts thousands of spectators from Middletown and the surrounding communities, providing a good opportunity for businesses to connect with potential customers and clients. Information on sponsorships, vendor spots and promotional opportunities is available by contacting Lori Anne Oliwa at [email protected] or by calling her at (732)337-8625.
