By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Jeep owners and enthusiasts might want to plan to be around Grayson the Sunday before Memorial Day. That’s the day the Carter County Kiwanis Club will hold their first annual Jeep Show, starting at 1 p.m. on Main Street as part of the weekend’s Memory Days festivities.
Jeep owners will be able to display their vehicles and compete in ten different classes. Those include Jeep CJ, YJ, TJ, JK, JL, and Gladiator body style classes. In addition to awards for each of those classes, trophies will also be awarded for the People’s Choice, best modern Jeep, best old-school Jeep, and best military style Jeep.
The military Jeep class was added to the event specifically to honor the sacrifices of veterans during the Memorial Day holiday. Jeeps that can have their authenticity verified with titles or photographs proving deployment in service will score higher in the military class, organizers said.
Trophies for winners will be handcrafted and one-of-a-kind. Jerry Yates, with the carpenters and millwrights local, said welders with local union halls are working to create the unique trophy designs, with most being crafted from old pistons.
In addition to the Jeep show, the Carter County Kiwanis Club is attempting to help organize a community marching band featuring Prichard and East Carter alumni for the day of the parade.
They are also asking local merchants and their employees to dress up in “old fashioned” clothing for the length of the event.
“They used to do that,” Kiwanis’ member Willis Johnson said. “We’d like to see that come back, all the way through (the event.)”
Before the Memory Days events, the Kiwanis will participate in Celebrate the Child events at Kentucky Christian University on April 8, to raise awareness of child abuse. The event – sponsored through the school system’s family resource centers – will feature workshops on ways to combat child abuse, including stress management and other strategies. In addition to workshops there will be inflatables, carnival games, food, and door prizes for children and families.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
