CAMDEN — By PATRIC FLANNIGAN
Staff writer
The Camden Kiwanis Club welcomed Eric Gunter and Jennifer Haynie of the E.B. Williams Youth Center during a recent meeting. Gunter served as the guest speaker and shared information about the upcoming “Kidz Runnin’ the Show” Corvette Car Show that will be held from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 23.
The event will also have a light show that will be held at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 24, at the Comfort Inn.
Gunter moved to Camden after he was born and raised in East St. Louis and graduated from Fairview High in 1983. He is a United States Army Veteran. After serving as a volunteer coach in peewee football and basketball and working at General Dynamics, International Paper and Arquest, he was able to see the environment that children were raised in. In 2012, he started the EBWYC in honor of his grandmother.
Gunter began is presentation to the Kiwanis Club by thanking the club for inviting him back to speak and said he considers himself as “alumni.”
He then talked about the purpose of the show. He explained that the children from the youth center do everything that needs to be done at the show - registration, directing parking and concession - so they can learn how to coordinate things and be responsible. Profits from the event go the EBWYC Gift of Progression program where it provides four $500 book scholarships for area students and also to the EBWYC backpack program. Over the last two years more than 300 backpacks with school supplies have been given out to area students to start the school year.
Gunter said that last year’s show yielded the most attendance that it has had in its five-year history with sponsors and children that weren’t even in the program coming out to enjoy the cars.
At the end of each show, children get to ride with the Corvette drivers in a parade through downtown. Gunter said the smiles on children’s faces is what all of it is about.
“All of this is to help the kids,” Gunter shared. “These kids need us adults. They need our guidance. There’s a lot of under served kids that have no guidance whatsoever and that’s why we try to get them and show them a different way of life.”
Gunter said that he and Haynie and other adults that help with the center try to show children different experiences like taking them to museums. The group has been actively involved in community clean ups, car washes and nursing home visits. Gunter shared that he dint think his kids would enjoy going to the nursing homes as much as they do and that some of them have become better readers by reading to patience. Some of the EBWYC children were able to do a mock internship at the courthouse with Ouachita County Judge Robbie McAdoo and others were able to shadow the Camden News for a day and earn a meal from Mazzio’s Pizza. The group has also adopted Fairview Street.
Gunter said that more than 100 trophies will be given out next week during the show with a variety of specialty trophies. One of which is the Rosetta Sparks Autism Speaks award named after a friend Gunter and Haynie met at a car show that has autism. Sparks will get view the cars via live video this year so she can make a selection. There will also be a 5-foot tall Best In Show trophy that comes with a socket set so the owner of the winning car will be able to break it down to fit in his or her vehicle.
One of the most notable awards is the Kids Choice Award that the children select all by themselves. It’s a three-foot trophy that also comes with a championship belt. The winner’s name is engraved on the belt.
Gunter said that pre-registration is slow because participants try to monitor the weather before paying to enter. He said that he anticipates at least 50 cars if the weather is good and that people from Milwaukee, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas have attended every year. Gunter added that it helps promote the city with people booking the hotels and eating at the different restaurants.
When Gunter concluded his visit, Camden Kiwanis Club President Alyssa Nutt presented a check on behalf of the club to the E.B.Williams Youth Center. Gunter thanked the club and told them that he would make sure the Camden Kiwanis Club logo will be added to the Corvette Car Show sponsor banner.