Following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 limitations, the anticipation surrounding the 13th annual Frank H. Martin Car and Truck Show last June at VFW Post 7155 in Trappe, Pennsylvania, led to its most profitable year ever.
Named in memory of Martin, a Post 7155 member who began running shows in 2007 to help raise money for children in need before his passing in 2010, the event helped raise more than $18,000 for a 3-year-old girl suffering from microcephaly since birth.
“It was an overwhelming success,” Post 7155 Quartermaster Karla Frank said. “It was the biggest it has been despite a two-year layoff. We at the Post were surprised by the community’s engagement and support on behalf of the young lady.”
With support from its Auxiliary, bar and kitchen staff, as well as Boys Scout Troop 7155, Post 7155 members opened their expansive outdoor space to host more than 500 spectators and 206 cars and trucks on display in the event on June 10.
The Post relied on entry fees, donations and sponsorships to raise the $18,000 on behalf of the beneficiary, Evelyn, a local girl whose single parent needed help to improve her daughter’s quality of life. Microcephaly is a condition in which a baby’s head is much smaller than expected, which can lead to epilepsy, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, hearing loss and vision problems.
Prior to the event each year, the recipient of the car show proceeds is chosen by the car show committee, which evaluates dozens of submissions from residents or groups in the communities in and
around Trappe, about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
“They receive entries from individuals or groups of people after conducting community outreach for months,” Frank said. “Then they vote on an individual that they think needs it most. This year, it happened to be the sweet Evelyn.”
Following the successful event, committee chairperson and car show co-founder Glenn Dunlap joined Post 7155 Commander Rich Cassey in presenting the $18,000 check to Evelyn’s family during a brief ceremony at Post 7155 on Sept. 25.
For the many Post 7155 members in attendance, the ceremony punctuated another successful feat in a long history of charity events hosted by the Post to enrich its community.
“Money raised toward a child in need goes a long way in acknowledging the positive impact Post 7155 makes within the community,” Frank said. “It’s our mission to never stop serving our community.”
Frank added that the Post is already planning its next annual tradition, a Bataan Death March Memorial event slated for April. This event’s proceeds will go toward the Post’s relief fund, as well as the
Semper Fi Fund, a California-based nonprofit that provides a variety of programs to assist wounded veterans.
This article is featured in the March 2023 issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Ismael Rodriguez Jr., senior writer for VFW magazine.