Waldo Fundraiser Brings Out Cool Cars and Poodle Skirts

WALDO ‒ Cool cars, poodle skirts, doo-wop singers and more brought Waldo-area residents outside on Saturday, May 22, to enjoy the fine weather and frivolity. All this fun was scheduled for a good reason – to earn money to improve the old Waldo school auditorium.

The event took place at Waldo City Hall Square, 14450 N.E. 148^th Avenue. The day began with back-to-back T-ball games at the Square and moved on to a large car show. Car owners brought their prized cars in from all over North Florida for this show. Approximately 179 cars showed up from as far away as Crystal River, DeLand, Jacksonville and Palatka, as well as from within Alachua County.

Car show entries ranged from antique and classic up to current day. Vehicle categories ranged from 1990 and older, 1991 and newer and top divisions for each manufacturer were also judged. In total, 68 awards were given out at this show, which included Best of Show and People’s Choice Awards. Women who dressed in poodle skirts and other 50s hot rod-era dress also competed for trophies. Another fun competition was for the oldest person in attendance, who happened to be 85 years old. Exact birthdates came into play in this category as three people were in competition for the oldest of the 85-year-olds.

Show organizer Mark Wyant of Gainesville Street Rod Club said there were about 27 active members who put this show together, which took about three months to organize. “I have put on about 50 shows all total and this one was one of the best so far,” said Wyant. “The venue was perfect. The day was breezy and sunny. We had food vendors, live doo-wop singers, a disk jockey and the people came out to support the event,” he said.

And support the event they did. After expenses the group presented the City of Waldo with a check for $4,000 toward their auditorium project.

Waldo City Manager Kim Worley said she would have been delighted if the City had received a check for $400. “This was more than we could have hoped for,” she said after receiving the check.

Vendors included Waldo’s B&R Crafters and the Waldo Area Recreation Department’s concession stand. Food vendors included Sweet Dreams Ice Cream (in a fire truck). Cowboys BBQ was also in attendance with their food truck to help feed hungry visitors. Items for sale included car parts, unique signs and other arts and crafts items.

The Waldo Area Historical Museum was also open for those out-of-town visitors who wanted to learn a little about Waldo’s history.

Music was provided throughout the event by a DJ and live music was featured by a Doo-Wop band called Kitch’N Sync.

“The most important thing about this event was that everyone had fun, from babies to 85-year-olds,” said Worley. “We hope to have more events like this on our grounds to bring our citizens together and entice others to find Waldo and learn about our great city.”

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