Locals Raise Money for Boys and Girls Club

“Cars:  It’s a longstanding American hobby.  The Baby Boomers, of which I am one, we kind of remember the cars we grew up with.  The ones we thought were cool when we were kids.

Sharyln Briscoe, Terrance Gross  and Larry Gross were co-organizers  of the Corvette, Thunderbird and classic car show on Solomons on July 5.

said Larry Gross when explaining the draw of the car-collectors’ weekend he helped organize at Our Lady Star of the Sea on Solomons on Saturday.  

“I’ve always been a T-Bird fellow," said Gross, who owns the LBG Auto Sports car restoration company in Lusby.   He added the car show specifically featured Thunderbirds, Corvettes and classic cars.  “A classic car has to be at least 30 years old,” he said. 

A 1934 Plymouth was one of the classics registered for the show, and Ed Fitzsimmons brought his 1954 MG TF sports car.  While restoration has been done, Fitzsimmons has had the sports car since his teenage years.  “It was my dating car,” he said.

Bill Higgs displayed his 1960 silver Corvette.  He and many of his buddies from the Southern Maryland Corvette Club exhibited their pride-and-joy mobiles. 

The July 5 show on Solomons was the first that Gross, his wife, Gloria, and many friends including co-chairs, Terrance Gross, no relative, and Sharlyn Briscoe helped plan to benefit the Boys and Girls Club on the island.

“My grandson plays football with the Solomon Steelers. I was approached by them last year to help do a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club. It was too late then. So,  this is my first opportunity.  It takes quite a bit of planning to do it. We have been working on it since February,” Gross said.

Car buffs joined Gross and friends from July 4 to 6. The three-day outing included a cruise around Solomons, a brewery party, a barbecue and fireworks.  More than 70 cars were registered for the event.  The organizers expect to know how much they raised for the Boys and Girls Club by early in the week. 

Spotlight Photo Caption:  Bill Brown and his wife, Linda, came to the show with a family of Thunderbirds: a 1955 and a 1956 (pictured) two-seater and the retro T-Bird that rolled off the Ford line in Wixom, MI, in 2001.  “Mine is a bird’s nest of cars,” Brown said.