From their very first meeting it was always their goal to raise money to contribute to local charities as well as get together with other Corvette owners. “If we see a need, we give,” said Rainsberg. The group has donated to many charities, including the Rainbow Connection, Friends of the Homeless, and the Salvation Army.
The group also contributes money for the operation of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., the town where the vehicles are made. “The museum is a nonprofit; GM has nothing to do with it,” said Rainsberg, who is an ambassador for the museum. “(When they have a car show,) it’s huge. Nationally it’s amazing what they draw in.”
The local car shows also help other groups like the New Philadelphia cheerleaders who had hot dogs and soft drinks available at the show for a donation. The money they earn helps provide funds for the young women to attend cheer clinics and purchase supplies.
Car shows are not only a place to raise funds, but also to visit with other car enthusiasts and compare toys.
“I worked 30 years in a steel mill, I was 50 years old, so I figured I deserved it,” said Ed Huss Jr., of Lakewood, of his bright yellow 2006 Chevy Corvette. “Besides, all the kids are grown so I have to spend my money on something,” he added with a laugh. His car attracted much attention at the show and placed among the Top Twenty cars to receive recognition.
Huss is not a member of a Corvette club, but he has friends with Corvettes and he enjoys attending approximately 25 to 30 car shows a year, “but only when the weather is nice.” Huss likes the fact that participating in the shows helps others. He recently participated in a show at a veterans home. “It was nice, they brought out some of the vets in wheelchairs to see the cars.”
Jacob John, 11, of New Philadelphia, was thrilled with the show. “I like all of them,” he said of the vehicles there, adding that it was too hard to choose a favorite. Jacob said he can sometimes tell the model of a car before he sees it just by listening to the engine, and his favorite vehicles are Ford trucks. He hopes to own a collectable vehicle someday.
The Classic Glass Corvette Club holds five car shows each year, including a Corvette-only car show at Roscoe Village in June, a show in Lancaster held in July along with the Ohio Vette Club, and the show at Ferris Chevrolet Buick Cadillac Toyota in August. Two shows remain for the year, the popular downtown New Philadelphia car show Sept. 10, and the Atwood Fall Festival Car Show to be held Oct. 2. “We have around 800 cars at the Atwood show,” said Rainsberg.
Marion Espenshied, of Dover, won Best of Show with his beautiful blue 1939 Buick. Participants placing in the Top Twenty were: Barb McGill, Brewster, 1975 Corvette; Larry Coffman, Steubenville, 1977 Monte Carlo; Bruce and Barb Foraker, St. Clairsville, 1951 Ford F-1 pickup; Ed Huss Jr., Lakewood, 2006 Corvette; Grant and Sue Geist, New Philadelphia, 1932 Ford; Luke Wilson, Carrollton, 1965 Ford; Bob and Polly Dennis, Uhrichsville, 1939 Chevrolet; Dan Fouts, Gnadenhutten, 1964 Chevy C-10 pickup; Al Carli, Alliance, 1966 Chevy Nova; Jim and Sandy Willoughby, Dover, 1966 Mustang GT; Dan and Carol Garlinger, Hopedale, 2007 Ford Mustang; Chad and Diane Green, Massillon, 2010 Camaro SS; Larry and Dee Franz, Mount Vernon, 2010 Chevy Camaro; Dick Zollars, Canton, 1957 Chevrolet; Jerry Cole, Uhrichsville, 1954 Willys; Dana A. Stein, Sugarcreek, 1962 Chevy Corvette; Les Boyd, Follansbee, W.Va., 1968 Chevrolet; Dukester, New Brighton, Pa., 1982 Chevy pickup; Larry and Carol Kappeler, New Philadelphia, 1933 Ford Roadster; and Randy Johnson, Dennison, 1979 Chevy Corvette.
Published: August 29, 2011









