The 20th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will march well outside the boundaries of concours orthodoxy March 15 with Hot Rods: East Meets West, a celebration of the most dynamic and democratic of the automotive arts.
The American hot-rod phenomenon exploded after World War II. Following a decade of depression and four years of war, America was suffering an automotive famine.
That’s when the American hot rodder was born. Many were ex-GIs who were used to doing the impossible with nothing but hand tools, ingenuity and imagination.
A class of 16 period American Hot Rods will be displayed at the car show. Eight East Coast rods will line up on the east side of the field, anchored by Posies East Coast Aeroliner Sport. Eric Zausner’s Moal Coachworks Falcon will anchor the West Coast rods on the west side of the field.
“Italy has Zagato, Bertone and Scaglietti, France has Figoni et Falashi, England has Gurney Nutting and Park Ward,” said Bill Warner, founder and chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
“We wanted to showcase the different concepts of East Coast and West Coast hot rods,” he said. “The East Coast rod is a blood relation of the sports car, while the West Coast rod has the style of the dry lakes roadster, of Bonneville and the whole Ford ‘flathead’ V-8 scene; probably what most people envision when they hear the words ‘Hot Rod.’”
The event’s foundation has donated more than $2.5 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida and other local charities since 1996.
In 2013, the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance won Octane Magazine’s EFG International Historic Motoring Event of the Year award.
Holiday food and toys from Main Street America Group
Main Street America Group’s employees donated more than 2,000 pounds of non-perishable goods to several local food banks.
They also contributed 500 toys to Toys for Tots and Project Share to provide for less-fortunate adults and children in the community.
Nearly 1,500 people, including hundreds of families, will reap the benefits of Jacksonville-based Main Street America’s 11th annual Holiday Season Food Drive.
The donated items will provide much-needed goods to local food banks in the eight markets throughout the United States where the property/casualty insurance carrier has offices. In Northeast Florida, the beneficiary of Main Street America’s food drive is Nourishment Network/Farm Share, formerly Second Harvest Food Bank.
“Main Street America’s employees greatly expressed their generosity by giving back to our local communities again this year through these very impactful holiday season food and toy drives,” said Main Street America chairman and CEO Tom Van Berkel. “They recognize the challenges many of our neighbors face every day and hope their contributions will help make the holiday season brighter for hundreds of adults and children.”
1,000 share holiday meal at City Rescue Mission
More than 1,000 needy people in Jacksonville attended the annual Christmas Eve banquet at the City Rescue Mission.
Tropical Smoothie Café helped underwrite the cost of the banquet, giving homeless residents a chance to celebrate the holidays, which for many would not have been possible otherwise.
Penny Kievet, executive director of City Rescue Mission, said the banquet provided the needy a hot meal, holiday festivities and companionship.
“It was wonderful to see joy on our guests’ faces,” she said.
900 ribbons on Tree of Life
On Dec. 4, Community Hospice of Northeast Florida held its 24th annual Tree of Life and Candlelight Service of Remembrance at the Earl B. Hadlow Center for Caring on Sunbeam Road.
About 500 people attended the event as a way to remember loved ones at the holidays.
The lighting of the 2014 Tree of Life featured a 20-foot tree and a cluster of other evergreens adorned with nearly 900 personalized memorial ribbons and lights, representing more than 97,000 adults and children who Community Hospice has served in its 35-year history.
The trees will remain on display at the Hadlow Center on Sunbeam Road through Monday.
If you would like to have your loved one’s name on the Tree of Life you may purchase a ribbon at treeoflife.communityhospice.com.
Chefs to compete to feed the hungry
Eddie Fink and his restaurant friends, who have been supporting the fight against hunger with an annual fundraising event in Jacksonville for more than 20 years, have created a new event — 3 Squares — to support Feeding Northeast Florida.
More than 50 area chefs and restaurants are participating in the Feb. 26 event at the Prime Osborn Convention Center’s Grand Lobby.
Tickets are $70 per person and may be purchased at feedingnortheastflorida/events.org or by calling (904) 201-4416.
The event will feature local restaurants, beverage distributors and caterers in a competition showcasing their signature dishes. All proceeds will be used to fight hunger in the community.
Fink started supporting the local food pantry in 1989, serving as a member of a committee of chefs and restaurant owners who wanted to give back to the community.
He serves as committee chairman for 3 Squares, Bob Conrad handles graphic design and Jim Mace, a member of the original committee in 1989, manages operations and logistics of the event.