The public is invited to view a bygone era of automobile transportation and utility vehicles and to help a local charity by attending the Garden State Concours d’Elegance scheduled to be held at the East Freehold Showgrounds, Freehold Township, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 23.
Sonny Schwartz stands next to one of the vintage automobiles in his car museum. Several of Schwartz’s cars will be on display during an antique auto show to be held May 23 at the East Freehold Showgrounds, Kozloski Road, Freehold Township. ERIC SUCAR staff The Garden State Concours d’Elegance will present a display of approximately 150 classic antique automobiles from 1900 to 1974, plus special interest and concept cars, race cars, motorcycles, fire trucks, tractors and farm equipment.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Ashley Lauren Foundation (ALF), Colts Neck, which offers hope and help for children with cancer.
“Our goal is to establish an excellent car day and through it to help children,” said Sonny Schwartz, chairman of the event committee. “Every penny we can raise will go the Ashley Lauren Foundation.”
The Concours d’Elegance (literally a competition of elegance) traditionally is a charitable event exhibiting pre-war and post-war cars that are judged on authenticity, function, history and style. Awards are given in several car classes, including type, manufacture, coachbuilder, country of origin or time period.
“The antique cars are displayed by invitation only and will have a unique look, feel and appeal,” said Schwartz, who will exhibit eight of his own cars, including a 1928 Packard, a 1936 Pierce Arrow Limo and a 1948 Chrysler Town and Country convertible.
“There will be something interesting for everyone, from motorcycles to concept cars to farm vehicles,” he said.
While the event is an enormous amount of work, Schwartz said the committee, numerous volunteers and sponsors share the work, as do members of his family: wife, Arlene, daughters Sharon and Susie, son-inlaw Lance and granddaughter, Sydney. The selection of the charity was the easy part, he said.
“After I spoke with Monica Vermeulen (ALF founder and executive director), I was blown away,” said Schwartz, a Marlboro area resident. “What she does and the passion and fortitude she has for families with children with cancer is unbelievable. She lives in another world.”
The ALF was founded in 2005 as a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and named in honor of Ashley Lauren Vermeulen, who at the age of 3 was diagnosed with Wilms tumor (kidney cancer).
With treatment, Ashley survived and is now 22 years old and cancer free. She is the daughter of Monica (a cancer survivor, too) and John Vermeulen and sister of Eric, 36.
“We went through this crisis as a family and know what families who have a child that is diagnosed with cancer face,” said Vermeulen, a resident of Brick Township. “We are not involved with research, but work directly with New Jersey families to provide material assistance, emotional and financial support and anything that is needed that we can provide.”
Children from birth to 21 years of age are referred to ALF by local and out-of-state hospitals with the condition that the children be residents of New Jersey.
“The Concours d’Elegance is a first-time event for ALF, and I am thrilled to be selected to be its charity,” said Vermeulen. “We could help so many more families through the generosity of this event.”
Vermeulen and her daughter, Ashley Lauren, will be at the Concours d’Elegance to provide information about ALF. There will also be ALF volunteers and families who have been helped by services provided by ALF.
Victoria Ali is a member of the ALF board of trustees and a member of the event committee.
“The hope is to put New Jersey on the map as a premier Concours d’Elegance, but more important to raise money for the children,” she said.
Ali, owner of Elite Events, Red Bank, said funds for ALF will be raised through an elegant ad journal, a silent auction, a requested voluntary donation by car exhibitors and vendors as well as admission fees and visitor donations.
“When visitors enter and pay the admission fee, they will receive a blue bracelet,” she said. “If the visitor makes a donation of any amount at all at an event donation site, they will receive a green bracelet with the ALF logo and the mission statement of hope and help for children with cancer.”
Rob Ida owns Rob Ida Concepts, a highend antique car restoration business in Morganville, and he selected the cars and vehicles entered in the benefit event. Ida will enter his 1941 Willys Coupe.
Ida’s father, Bob, will enter a 1933 Willys Coupe.
Other cars that Ida will exhibit but not owned by him include a 1948 Tucker Custom, a 1937 Chevrolet Twin Turbo Coupe and a 1949 Cadillac Club Sedan.
“This is a rare opportunity to view a significant collection of rare cars gathered together in one place,” said Ida, whose grandfather, Joe, had a dealership in Tucker cars, which were controversial at the time they were produced by Preston Tucker. “The cars presented for display were not known for economy. They usually weighed about 3,000 pounds and got about 18 miles per gallon.”
Ida, a member of the event committee, said the awards for the cars and vehicles will be judged by members of the Antique Automobile Club of America, Hershey, Pa. Members of the event committee will also present an award.
Joe Velba, owner of Midway Auto, a salvage company in Morganville, and a member the event committee, will display three of his own cars: a 1926 Model T, a 1935 Packard and a 1956 Thunderbird.
“Visitors to the event will have something they can relate to from the cars and vehicles dating from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s or earlier,” said Velba. “The admission is reasonable and it’s a fun, family event for a good cause.”
The Garden State Concours d’Elegance, a rain or shine event, will be held at the East Freehold Showgrounds (site of the annual Monmouth County Fair), 1500 Kozloski Road, Freehold Township, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 23. Admission is $5 per person and children 12 years old and under are free. Parking is $2. Refreshments will be available for purchase.
For more information click on the website at www.gardenstateconcours.com or call 908-692-1666.