I decided to skip work on the wagon Saturday and jumped in my 32 sedan to attend a car show 25 miles from home and sponsored by the Williamston Fire department in conjunction with the 29th Spring water Festival in Williamston,South Carolina. Great day with many friends a lot of interesting cars,. Awards were handed out at 3:00 PM,,2 fellow club members won trophies ,,Ken also has a 32 sedan and Frank has a nice Model A coupe,,I came up empty handed,,but it didn't bother me or my wife,,I have been playing with cars more years than I care to remember and have a pile of dust catchers and that's not the reason I go. They gave the 50/50 money away,,I bought a ticket but didn't win it. They gave the plasma TV away,,I also bought a ticket the winner wasn't me. They also had other awards like best Mopar,Chevy,Buick,Ford and best Truck. They had one last award,,The Will Drake Memorial Award,This was the second year for this and it went to John Pruitt in 2009,he had went through cancer treatments along the same time Will did and a avid hot rodder/car builder and a great guy. Will Had been a member of our local car club ever since I joined in the late 70's,he was a member of the Williamston Fire Department from the time he was a teenager,he was also a National Street Rod ***ociation Division director,he even lurked around the Hamb from time to time,he was a close friend to many and knew hundreds if not thousand of people and could remember names and faces. Will had the gift of gab,,we always joked about him being able to talk the ears of a Billy Goat,, His wife Anette gave out the award after a little history about the recipient and how Will and she felt about this person who had been a friend for over 30 years and how much she appreciated all the time this person had taken to come to the hospital,to the home and to ho****e during his last few months. Then she called out my name,believe me I was in shock,,I'm nobody special but the place erupted in applause and I was dumbfounded,,I had sungl***es on thank goodness to shield my eyes because I was crying like a little girl as was Anette and we had a big hug and cried some more. John Pruitt was the first to come and put his arm around my shoulder and say he knew exactly how I felt. People I have known for years and people I barely know were congratulating me and slowly the crowds parted and we loaded up and drove home to a cruise-in at the local Micky D's,,were several people that weren't at the show but had heard I had received to award stopped me to shake my had a pat me on the back,,some of these guys I have so much respect for,,my eyes got wet a lot yesterday. I told Anette that I had made the comment earlier in the day that I thought the Fire Department had purchased the ugliest trophies they had ever given away,but now I have a ugly trophy that means more to me than any I have ever received and it will be permanent fixture on my roll top desk. I just wanted to share this story with you guys and gals,,it just proves that the love of cars can bring people into your life you would have never known without that common interest. HRP
Good story!!---And I'm sure you are truly deserving of the award!!!! Did Randy Nash happen to attend the event too??????--------Don
Thank you Don, Randy was at the swap meet in Charlotte,North Carolina. He did show up at the cruise-in,,it's not but a hundred or so miles from his home and you and I both know he is a road dog! HRP
That's not the kind of trophy you win. It's the kind you earn. Sounds like well deserved. Congratulations!
I told you it was ugly but no you just had to see it! I think it's getting prettier all the time. HRP
I ain't so sure of that... Tear the worded plak off it, glue it on some wood and make a nice wall plak out of it ...that's always better than a trophy...!!! R-
What goes around comes around. You earned the award over the years and your friends wanted to say thank you. You should be proud. Congratulations.
Congrats. Will was a great guy and is really missed. This has to be one of the high points of your hotroding history. Congrats again. Carl
Quit saying Karma... I think you're saying Carmel and I get hungry!!!!!! My best awards and the only ones I kept were home made by children... but I'd keep that one!
Like any award the earned ones are the best, even cooler when it is for something you would have done with or without recognition. I think they made the right choice.
I went to a show a couple weeks ago. The person putting it on had a pick dedicated to his mother that had p***ed a couple years ago. It was given to the car she would have picked. Tear jerker.
Danny, In my mind that is one of the most prized trophies I have ever seen because of the NAME PLATE. Congratulations it sounds like it is well deserved presentation. Larry
Thanks guys,, I received another cool award at the Southeastern Deuce show in Pigeon Forge,Tenn. The Lady's choice,,I don't know why with all the beautiful cars there,but this is another keeper,,HRP
Quote - "I told Anette that I had made the comment earlier in the day that I thought the Fire Department had purchased the ugliest trophies they had ever given away,but now I have a ugly trophy that means more to me than any I have ever received and it will be permanent fixture on my roll top desk." Now you know the meaning is what counts heh ? Congrats and ugly is in the eyes of the beholder until you see the meaning and then it ain't so ugly after all. Cob
The Jalopy Journal
