By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
The fourth annual Thunder on the Plains car show is set for Saturday, but while the event will still feature classic cars and food, like so much else in 2020, the event was impacted by COVID-19.
Normally, sponsors would donate throughout the year that would be given out to local charities and fund prizes for the car show.
"In the past four years, we have had the car show we have given away over $36,000 to local charities," said Jackie Lang, Thunder on the Plains organizer. "We love to do this, we love to have fun with it, we like to bring people together with the passion for their cars, trucks and motorcycles and have a good time with it. But at the heart of it all, we want to give back to the community."
However, this year, with so many struggling in the community as the pandemic has shut down businesses, Lang said they were hesitant to try to ask for donations.
"We didn't feel like it was right to go out and ask people to donate money when we knew people were struggling," she said.
Early donations already collected will be used to fund this year's show and remaining funds will be added to next year's collection that will be distributed to local charities.
Sponsors this year include Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, Chad Beiker Insurance, Dillons, Discovery Drilling, Dr. Mark Schupman, D.C., FHSUGasper Auto Trim & Upholstery, Glassman, Bird, Brown & Powell LLP, Hays Convention & Visitors Bureau, Hess Corporation, Insurance Planning, Dr. Jeffery & Connie Curtis, Lynn Kinderknecht DDS, Paul-Wertenberger Construction Inc., RockAuto.com and Auto World.
While fundraising efforts were curtailed this year, Lang was grateful to the sponsors that contributed.
"We could not do what we do without our sponsors and we hope that we will be back to normal next year, raising funds to give back to the community," Lang said.
The show must go on
Despite the challenges this year organizing the event, the Thunder on the Plains will still offer an opportunity for car aficionados to gather and enjoy cars and company.
"We decided to have the car show, but it was going to be a free car show," Lang said.
Without funds to give large prizes to category winners, they also decided to not charge entry fees.
Despite the change, she said the event should still be a fun way for people to gather and believes the turnout will generate a sizable turnout.
"We've heard as a group that there are a lot of people interested in coming," Lang said.
A few entries have been preregistered, but anyone wanting to participate can simply arrive Saturday morning.
"You can pull up the day of the show and park your car, that's no problem," Lang said. "Most of the cars come the day of the show and have not preregistered."
And while there will not be large prizes this year, drawing for small prizes will go on throughout the event.
This year's show will also feature a new event.
With the monthly Poker Runs organized by Thunder on the Plains curtailed this year, the decision was made to add one to the show.
Five stops will make up the Poker Run, including the park and will cost $5 a card.
Carrico Implement, Bruckner's Mack & Volvo, Doonan Truck and the Rose Garden will be stops during the Poker Run.
The car show will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the poker run will start at 1 p.m. Drawings for the poker run are set at 3:30 p.m.
For more information about the Thunder on the Plains car show, visit their website thunderontheplainsks.com or their Facebook page.