Career center to host annual car show
Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center will host the auto body program's 15th annual car show.
Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center will host the auto body program's 15th annual car show on May 5.
“We didn’t have a good day, weather-wise, last year, but we still had 66 cars turn out on a cold day,” auto body program instructor Nick Houmard said. “We expect a good crowd [this year] with good weather because the people who come here are very loyal.”
One of the main reasons for that loyalty is the effort that was put into the program and the show by longtime former instructor Dave Mumaw, who died in 2016 after a battle with cancer. Mumaw was respected for his vast knowledge of cars, his people skills and his support of the Skills USA student competitions after he retired.
Houmard said this year’s car show will again be dedicated to Mumaw’s memory, as it was last year. “From this point on we’re going to do the show in his memory,” Houmard said. “It’s a show he started years ago, and it’s only right to continue in his honor.”
Students are taking responsibility for much of the preshow preparation including securing donations from area businesses for participant goodie bags and door prizes.
“In the past there have been a variety of items donated such as pens, can cozies and hats, and BW3 has been very generous with $5 gift cards,” Houmard said. “If a business is interested in helping out, we’ll be happy to accept their donation.”
Students are in the process of submitting and voting on designs for the dash plaques that will be given to the first 100 entries along with the goodie bags. They also designed T-shirts for car show volunteers that are black with a green skull and have a pistons logo on the front and a crashed old car on the back to represent the older cars in the show and the collision work auto body students learn to do.
Houmard said the graphic communications program will sell T-shirts, including the student design, and hold a bake sale. The auto technology class also will be set up to sell old automotive manuals. Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and Backyard Smokin will be the main food vendors.
A last-minute addition to this year’s car show is a petting zoo organized by the animal and veterinary science program in addition to animals that the Ashland County Humane Society has up for adoption.
“We went around with our flier, and they asked if they could do a petting zoo, and a few days later someone was in from the Human Society, and they said they could do a pet adoption at the same time,” Houmard explained. “It’s great to get more school labs and students involved.”
Auto body students will judge all entries. First- and second-place awards will be given for Best Interior, Best Paint, Best Motorcycle and Best in Show. Students in the engineering tech program are making the awards and the dash plaques.
Proceeds from the car show will benefit the Auto Body Skills USA club, which sends quite a few students to regional and state competitions as well as scholarships toward post-secondary education. Funds raised also purchase special equipment and supplies for the class — such as metal-shaping tools and specialty paint — and help pay for some of the field trips and shop visits for less fortunate students.
“We go to local body shops and the Autorama in Cleveland, where students can talk to owners and people who paint cars who they might not normally have the opportunity to talk to,” Houmard said.
This year’s car show will again feature oldies music from the 1950s, '60s and '70s by disc jockey “Rockin” Bob Day; a 50/50 drawing; and door prizes. The show will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center, which is located on Ohio Route 60, just north of the U.S. 30 exit.
For more information or to donate to the car show, call Houmard at the career center at 419-289-3313 ext. 2261.