Kiwanis car show benefits local high school students

Kiwanis Club of Daffodil Valley member Scott Thompson knows that in order to run a really successful car show you need “some real car guys.”

So when the Kiwanis Club was lucky enough to snag Bill Hilton and Mike Sader as co-chairmen of the event, the annual Cruise in for Youth car show really started hitting on all cylinders.

Saturday’s (May 21) show will mark the 13th year for the car show, which raises money for scholarships to benefit local high school students. Cruise in for Youth will be held at the O’Reilly Distribution Center, 1602 Industrial Parkway in Puyallup, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration for all cars is $20.

Sader is the brains behind the car show and Hilton is his right-hand man, said Thompson, a teacher at Sumner High School who also serves as advisor to the school’s Key Club.

“Between the two of them, they know what works,” he said.

Sader has had a huge interest in cars since he was a kid, and enjoys the car show.

“What is cool about the car show is that so many people know how it benefits the scholarship fund, and attend because of that. It is a real laid-back event with entertainment, food and different classes of trophies,” he said.

The event is sponsored by American Automotive and O’Reilly’s. All proceeds from the event will benefit scholarship opportunities for local students.

Don Boggs, local district manager at O’Reilly Distribution Center, said last year more than 250 cars showed up for the event.

“I’m always happy to work with the Kiwanis Club, and enjoy working with them every year,” Boggs said.

Lauren Baker, a senior at Sumner High School, was the recipient of one of the Kiwanis Club’s scholarships this year.

“My advisor, Mr. Thompson, told me about the scholarship and I was very excited,” Baker said.

Baker, a Running Start student taking three classes at Pierce College and one at Sumner High, is also a member of the Start Crew, a program at the high school that introduces new students to the school. As president of the Key Club at Sumner, she volunteers at many of the club’s events. She’s also taking an active role in this year’s car show, manning the concession stands, making hot dogs and handing out snacks.

Music will be provided by The Pushrods, a Puyallup-based band. Sader said the band plays a wide variety of music.

Hilton was a participant at the car show for a couple of years before joining Kiwanis Club. The club meets from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. every Wednesday morning at Mrs. Turner’s in downtown Puyallup. New members are always welcome.

“It stars my day off on a positive note,” Hilton said.

Car enthusiasts can show up the day of the car show and register.

“It is open to all makes and models and all cars are welcome, no matter the year or the make,” he said.

The Kiwanis Club is a community service organization that hosts a number of fundraisers throughout the year. The club hopes to draw a large crowd to the car show this year.

“Spectator or participant, the Cruise In for Youth car show has something for everyone,” Hilton said.

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 10:51 AM with the headline "Kiwanis car show benefits local high school students."