Category: Events

The annual Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance presented by Mercedes-Benz and AutoNation has raised nearly $10 million to date for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. Hosted for the 11th consecutive year at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, the event took place February 10-12 and attracted more than 7,000 attendees for a weekend of philanthropy, comedy, and a stellar automobile and motorcycle display to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County.

Founded by Rita and Rick Case of Rick Case Automotive Group and under the direction of Founding Chairman James E. McDonnell IV, and Honorary Chair Mike Jackson, the Boca Raton Concours grows each year, bringing together new supporters, introducing new event components and showcasing the best in exotic and classic automobiles and motorcycles. This year’s Concours celebrated Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg as the Marques of the Year and featured an auction by The Finest Automobile Auctions.

Friday kicked off the weekend of events with the duPont Registry Live Hangar Party presented by Ulysse Nardin at the Boca Raton Airport. Guests experienced gourmet tastings from South Florida’s finest restaurants. Guests also perused a selection of exotic cars, motorcycles, extravagant boats, private jets, and premier vendors. During the event, Rita Case displayed her HondaJet; she is the first woman in the world to be certified to fly a HondaJet.

Saturday evening featured the Gala Dinner & Show presented by the Dade-Broward Hyundai and Genesis Dealers and emceed by Jeff Lennox and Vivian Gonzalez from WSVN-7 News, beginning with a cocktail reception and silent auction followed by a dinner and show featuring comedian Jeff Foxworthy as the headlining performer. The dinner began with the presentation of the coveted Automotive Lifetime Achievement Awards presented to Marc Cannon, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Communications & Public Policy for AutoNation, and Dave Zuchowski, previous CEO to Hyundai.

Sunday concluded the weekend’s festivities with the Concours d’ Elegance Automobile & Motorcycle Exhibition presented by the Rick Case Automotive Group, spanning all eras on the Boca Raton Resort & Club showfield. Guests from around the world experienced an automotive showcase featuring vehicles and motorcycles from an array of time periods. Expert panel of judges includes Chief Judge Dr. Paul Sable, Honorary Marque Judges Laura Brinkman, Executive Director/CEO of the Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg Automobile Museum, and Mark Tomei, Vice-President of the Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg Club.

The awards ceremony highlighted each winner as they drove to the judge’s booth to receive their trophy. Winning entrants received their awards during a special presentation emceed by DuPont and Rothermel. Best in Show Automobile was awarded to Barbara and Al Mason’s 1928 Auburn 8-115 Speedster and Best in Show Motorcycle was awarded to Leo Schigiel’s, 1956 Ariel Square 4 with Garrard sidecar.

The 11th annual Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance was made possible with the support of its sponsors: Mercedes-Benz, AutoNation, Rick Case Automotive Group, the Dade-Broward Hyundai and Genesis Dealers, Honda Aircraft Company and HondaJet, Coral Springs Auto Mall, Lamborghini Palm Beach, Hagerty Insurance Company, Ulysse Nardin, Boca Raton Resort & Club, Comcast Spotlight, DuPont Registry, Ferrari- Maserati of Fort Lauderdale, JM Family Enterprises, Inc. Bentley Palm Beach, Rolls-Royce Motorcars Fort Lauderdale, Aston Martin Fort Lauderdale, Ed Morse Automotive Group, Robb Report, Zucker Lewis Media Group, THINK Magazine, Sun Sentinel, City & Shore Magazine, FOX/WSVN, ABC/WPLG, NBC/WTVJ, CBS/WFOR, Univision, Telemundo, Car Show Television, Entercom South Florida, Windmill Advertising Group, Pinnacle Advertising and Marketing Group, Vision Media Inc., Comerica Bank, Passport Transport, Impala Asset Management, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, and others.

 

Plans are already underway for the 12th annual Boca Raton Concours d’ Elegance at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, scheduled for February 9-11, 2018. Visit www.bocaCDE.com for updates.

 

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Photo1: Dave Zuchowski, former Hyundai CEO, and Trina Zuchowski

 

 

 

 

 

Photo3: Boys & Girls Club of Broward County Kids with Brian Quail, President/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County

 

 

 

 

Photo9: Best in Show Automobile was awarded to Barbara and Al Mason’s 1928 Auburn 8-115 Speedster by Brian Quail, President/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County; Founding Chairman, James E. McDonnell, IV; and Boca Raton Concours d’ Elegance Founders Rita and Rick Case.

 

 

 

 

Photo10: Bill Rothermel, Brian Quail, President/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County; Founding Chairman, James E. McDonnell, IV; and Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance Founders Rita & Rick Case; and Tom duPont.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo14: Brian Quail, President/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County presenting the Automotive Lifetime Achievement Award to Marc Cannon, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Communications and Public Policy for AutoNation, and Mike Jackson, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.

 

BESTOFSHOW: Best of Show Motorcycle, 1956 Ariel Square 4 with Garrard Sidecar, Lisa and Leo Schigiel

 

On March 17, across the United States, about 122 million Americans will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. That is 39 percent of the American population. Staggering as that may seem, 35 million people living in the United States claim Irish Ancestry. That’s seven times the population of Ireland. Add on to those figures the countless Irish-at-heart, kiss-me-I’m-Irish wannabes, and you’re sure to find yourself smack in the middle of a moving sea of green somewhere near your hometown. The largest and oldest parade of all time is none other than the Annual New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. You can expect between 150,000 and 250,000 participants to march up Fifth Avenue from 44th Street to 86th Street, while two million spectators line the streets. Now that’s a lot of smiling Irish eyes.

Yet while we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and wherever we celebrate it, I have to admit that I did not know much about the Patron Saint and National Apostle of Ireland that is being honored. St. Patrick was not born in Ireland but was born in Britain during the fifth century. Kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16, St. Patrick was able to escape after six years. Returning later to Ireland as a Christian Missionary, St. Patrick was credited with bringing Christianity to the Irish and consecrating more than 350 Bishops. In the centuries following his death, which is believed to be on March 17, 1461, St. Patrick’s religious impact on Ireland and its people grew throughout the world. In fact, St. Patrick used the shamrock, or three-leaf clover, as a religious symbol. The story behind this little green plant is steeped in heritage and Irish national pride. St. Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the holy trinity.

A deeper look into Ireland’s history of famine, disease, and political unrest reminds us that the Irish were anything but lucky. But “the luck of the Irish” evolved when the Irish remained hopeful and began creating their own luck and opportunities through their positive attitudes, work ethic, and perseverance through some of the most difficult times. As Lady Liberty became the new symbol of freedom to the 4.5 million Irish immigrants arriving at Ellis Island between 1820 and 1930, Irish traditions, customs, and beliefs kept Ireland alive in each of them. Far from their loved ones, heartwarming traditions and religious feasts honoring their Patron Saint of Ireland blossomed into international festivals celebrating Irish culture. With parades, Irish step dancing, corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, music, bagpipes, and a whole lot of green, St. Patrick’s Day became ubiquitous with being Irish no matter what ones heritage is.

In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day was traditionally a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Then in 1995, the Irish government began to showcase Ireland and Irish culture to the rest of the world. Today, about one million people annually take part in Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions, and fireworks shows.

People of all backgrounds celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in many countries far from Ireland. North America is home to the largest productions. Annually Americans exchange about eight million St. Patrick’s Day greeting cards, 83 percent will wear green, 40 pounds of green dye is used to turn the Chicago River green, 100 percent of those celebrating St. Patrick’s Day will be considered Irish. If you choose to skip the festivities this year, you may just find yourself green with envy.

When WWI soldiers landed in France to prepare for war, they were ready to fight for their lives against the Germans. They never expected to be devastated by another enemy – one without bullets or bayonets. To everyone’s surprise, a disease called Spanish influence swept mercilessly through military camps. The cramped quarters in military barracks, along with trench warfare, contributed to the rapid spread of the disease. Lack of sophisticated antibiotics left victims entirely vulnerable to the ravages of the disease, which killed at least 43,000 servicemen, according to military records.

The spread of the disease also created a new role for what were called the “Y Girls,” women who became associated with the YMCA and went to the war zone to help support our troops in various ways.

As servicemen lay dying of influenza, the “Y Girls” took on a new role: helping the dying write letters home to loved ones. The men fully grasped the rapid progression of the incurable disease and felt an urgency to carefully compose their thoughts and final words, which, they hoped, would provide some comfort to those they were leaving behind. Some required help with their letters because of their weakened conditions. Others needed support accepting their fate and simply saying goodbye.

It happens that my grandmother, Faith Hinckley, was among the first seven women to accept that assignment overseas where she held the hands of the dying.

I was fortunate that she lived long enough to tell me her experiences. She told of one young soldier who asked only that she hold his hand tightly until the end. She told him she’d write a letter for him, if he had the strength to dictate. He replied that he had nobody. His parents were dead and he was an only child. He could not think of a single relative who would remember him well enough or expect a letter regarding his wartime activities.

My grandmother then told him he could write to her mother, who has two children at war, and fears she may not see them again. “Let’s tell her how proud we are to serve our country,” she said. “We’ll tell her your name, where you’re from, and what your life was like before military service. “

The frightened soldier dictated two pages describing his dreams, his accomplishments, his fears, and then finally, his overwhelming gratitude that he would not die alone on foreign soil. He asked his new “borrowed mother” to pray for him and her own two children at war. He gave her his whole name and asked that she remember him kindly and be proud of his own personal sacrifice.

My grandmother posted that letter along with scores of others composed that same day. She said the soldier slipped away peacefully shortly after asking for her mother’s name again and where she lived. My grandmother said she believed he was “envisioning back home” as he took his last breath.

My grandmother had made out her own will before leaving for the war, and after holding the hand of that dying soldier she wonder what she might say in her own letter home when her time came. She hoped she could say “somebody was holding very tightly to her hand till the very end.”

In June we’ll recognize the start of American engagement in WWI. Although my grandmother died years ago, she lives within my heart, and I think of her more when I’m reminded of U.S. engagement in the Great War. As a “Y Girl” she exposed herself to great danger while she sat with dying troops during an epidemic of a savage disease. My family history doesn’t tell me who was with her when she died, but I hope someone was holding tightly to her hand. She deserved it.