Rodders looking for credit
This is in response to the article “Cruising at the market” by Greg Gross, published 8/25/07 in the Daily Record.
Mr. Gross, do you always tell only half the story in your articles? What could have been a great story was sadly lacking any good information. You highlighted an Amish person who will never own a car, a family looking at the custom cars but doesn’t own one, and told of an antique that will be restored by a local business. [Blogger note: Staff photographer Kristin Murphy provided the images that accompanied this story.]
What about telling why all these cars were there? It’s the hard work of the Motor Menders Rod and Custom Club that attracts the cars every month. The May and June cruise nights each saw over 800 custom cars fill the cruise area and hundreds more spectators overflowing the other lot and the neighboring church parking lot. Those cars contained in a very conservative estimate, 2,000 people, most of who were buying food and drinks. A typical Friday evening you will see the vendors closed by 6:00 and the market empty. On the 4th Friday of the month (cruise night) the vendors are swamped until at least 8:30.
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The Motor Menders Rod and Custom Club was founded in 1956. Our members range from a member in his 20’s all the way to one of the founding members well into his 70’s. We’re not a bunch of young hoodlums terrorizing the streets with our cars. The average age of our members is probably in their mid 50’s. Last year a few troublemakers insisted in doing burnouts when leaving our cruise night. Club members contacted the State Police, requesting them to make their presence known at the end of the evening. We took further steps to ensure everyone’s safety by collecting $1 from every car entering the cruise, which pays for security. A guard is at the exit ready to record the license number of anyone leaving in an unsafe manner.
In the 13 years I’ve been a member we have made yearly contributions to the Margaret Moul Cerebral Palsy Home and collected toys for the Salvation Army each Christmas. Last years toy drive collected toys as well as cash. The Motor Menders matched the amount of cash and bought gifts and toys. The gifts were purchased at a local business that matched what we bought. Over $2,000 in gifts and toys were presented to the Salvation Army to be given to the underprivileged children of York.
I’m not telling you anything you didn’t know, am I Mr. Gross? You interviewed the President of the Motor Menders for about 20 minutes and chose not to include anything he told you. The way your story was written it looks like the Markets at Shrewsbury put on the cruise nights and collect the toys for the Salvation Army without the help of any organization. The next time you write a story, please tell the whole story and give credit where credit is due.
Steve Smith
Membership Secretary
Motor Menders Rod & Custom Club Inc.
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