Dexter Sunrise Kiwanis prepare for cruise in, Saturday, Aug. 8
DEXTER — Get ready for a Kiwanis “first” in Dexter on Saturday, Aug. 8 as the rubber hits the road with the first-ever Sunrise Kiwanis Club Cruise In.
The event will take place from 4:30-8 p.m. in the community’s municipal parking lot with a rain date of Aug. 22. “CruiseMaine” magazine was also contacted and the Cruise-In date listed.
Contributed photo
CLASSIC CHEVY –– Bob and Janie Fritsch pose with their 1964 Chevy Corvette.
Plans for the event started nearly a year ago.
In the late summer of 2014, the Kiwanis Club began preparing for its annual fruit sale. The sale had been held every fall for many years and it was one of the major fundraisers for the club.
But when the packet from the grove arrived, it included a price sheet with a substantial increase in the cost of the fruit. It was decided that the club could not pass along the increase to its longtime supporters. An alternative source of revenue would have to found.
There was some brainstorming and one of the club members, Bob Fritsch, suggested a cruise-in. Cruise-ins and car shows were very popular. So Bob, a vintage car buff and member of the local “Dusters” car club, was drafted to be the chairperson of a committee to examine what would be required to organize such an event.
Fritsch asked for volunteers from the Kiwanis Club to serve on the committee and many hands were raised. He also decided to go outside the club to members of the community who had experience in car shows and who owned a classic car. Len Wallace, Mark Robichaud and Buzzy Harding stepped forward to help.
The first order of business was to assign areas of responsibility for entertainment, food and beverage, communications and sponsorships.
Businesses were also contacted for sponsorships and the first one to step forward was Maine Highlands Federal Credit Union which offered to sponsor an Elvis tribute singer as well as to assist and design a sponsorship booklet replete with photos intermixed with sponsors. The booklet would be provided free of charge to all those attending.
Additionally, a date had to be set that didn’t conflict with similar events in the central state area.
Students and staff at the Tri County Technical Center were asked to design and assemble twelve “awards” made of small car parts to be presented at the event. These will be quality acknowledgements of car owners’ contributions to what will be a memorable experience.
In order to create a database to be used in the planning of future cruise-ins, names, addresses and vehicle information will be requested of participating owners.
Watch for more information as the show date gets closer and visit the Dexter Sunrise Kiwanis Club Facebook page. For more details, call Bob Fritsch at 924-7336.