Car show benefits Wounded Warrior

  • Published
  • By Amy Rollins
  • Skywrighter Staff
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio --  The Wright-Patterson Top 3 Association's 2013 Car, Truck and Bike Show and Shine, held Aug. 11, more than doubled last year's participation and raised more than $2,100 in donations for the Wounded Warrior Project, show organizers said.

The 2nd annual show was held in the parking lot adjacent to gate 1B on Springfield Street. Four wounded warriors and veterans from the VA Medical Center attended, and some helped judge the 148 vehicles registered.

The show was organized by a committee of 15 Top 3 Association members headed by Senior Master Sgt. Carla Elliott, superintendent of the Diagnostics and Therapeutic Laboratory Flight, 88 Medical Group, and Master Sgt. Peyton Hobbs, first sergeant at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center.

The event included free live entertainment, door prizes, food and beverages available for purchase and dash plaques for the first 50 eligible vehicles. The VA Medical Center had a booth in which information was available.

Awards were presented to the top 25 cars/trucks and top 10 bikes, "People's Choice" and "Commander's Choice" picks.

"Being a Top 3 member, I think it's very important that we continuously give back to 'Big A' Airmen," Elliott said. "That is our inherent responsibility as senior NCOs. Then also, it's important to interact with our community partners, being the largest employer here.
This weekend, we had a lot of community partners who donated to our car show; we had a lot of sponsorships."

As with many people, the Wounded Warrior Project is near and dear to Elliott's heart, as her husband, an Army retiree, was a wounded warrior. He attended the show.

"It's important to me because my family has actually lived through that," she said. "I can relate to that. They treated him very well when he was in the Wounded Warrior program. I want to make sure that Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines are getting the treatment that they deserve within the program. Why not support it?"

Elliott said there is already talk about a third show next year, and community partners have indicated their interest in supporting it.

"Because we had so much participation this year, we may have to move the show to a different location," she said, "but I think we are going to go strong next year."

The Wright-Patterson Top 3 Association is a professional organization involving the top three enlisted ranks that benefits Airmen and assists them with mentoring and networking.