The Villages Classic Car Club teamed up this past weekend with the Dairy Queen restaurant in Oxford to hold a car show to support the Sumter County Sheriff’s Kids, Cops and Christmas program.
The car club is one of The Villages clubs which has strongly supported this program which enables disadvantaged children to shop with a deputy to fulfill their holiday dreams.
The management of the Dairy Queen at County Road 216 and U.S. 301 contacted the club about holding a show and offered to make a donation to the club. Club president Will Vermilya explained that the club supports the sheriff’s Christmas program and the owner offered to donate 10 percent of the gross proceeds from the DQ’s Saturday sales to the sheriff’s program. Vermilya said that the club has been fund raising throughout the year and has strong support from club members for this program. Last year, the Classic Car Club pooled their donations with four other Villages car clubs to raise more $8,000 for the program.
Major Pat Breeden of the sheriff’s office was on hand to thank the club members for their support of the program. He told the assembled club members that their donations have a real impact on the children. Often the children will use the money to buy toothpaste and other essentials instead of toys. When the deputies see that happen they will often buy those items for the children. He invited club members to attend the shopping event to see the joy their donations generate.
