Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club President Paul Finley walked around the 15th Annual City of Lakes Car Show Sunday shaking the hands of the vehicle owners and thanking them for their participation.
“I don’t know if we’ve done that in the past, but that’s what I’m doing,” he said.
There were over 200 cars, trucks and motorcycles - as of 2 p.m. - parked along portions of Buffalo, Center and Indiana streets for the five-hour event downtown Warsaw. All the money raised from the car show goes toward helping youth in the community.
“We do grants out there for anybody that has a youth situation going on through their company or how they help and we’re there to assist as well,” Finley said. “We have a grant process. They can go online and check that out, and we’ll be glad to review it and go through it.”
Funds raised are given back to the youth in the community by way of scholarships, free events for kids and families, and grants for organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, CASA of Kosciusko County, Kosciusko Youth Leadership Program, Baker Youth Club and other youth-enriching organizations, according to a previous news release.

    Motorcycles, such as this 2007 Harley Streetglider owned by Matthew Bower, Rochester, are also part of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club Annual Car Show in downtown Warsaw. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union
  

Each year, Finley estimated they raise anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 from their fundraisers. The four “big” fundraisers they do annually are the car show, the tri-athlon, a golf outing in September and then the fall displays.
Last year, bad weather caused the car show to be rescheduled to late in the season and ended up with about 83 cars. With the weather better this year, that helped with the turnout of over 200 vehicles.
Volunteers from the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club help with the car show and no one is paid. Finley said, “We operate on our dues to run the club, and then the fundraisers to run our grant process. That’s how we do it. We probably have 40 to 50 volunteers here.”
Planning, operating and contacting for the City of Lakes Car Show began back in December.

    Motorcycles, such as this 2007 Harley Streetglider owned by Matthew Bower, Rochester, are also part of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club Annual Car Show in downtown Warsaw. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union
  

“It’s not an overnight thing for us. It took several months,” Finley said, pointing out the two co-chairmen of the event, Tom Tearney and Ken Shamblen, put all of it together.
The event also included music from a DJ and a live performance by the Lake Area Band.
In the City Hall parking lot was the TrackSide Racing Simulator, the Indiana State Police SWAT BearCat vehicle and the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office was handing out goodies.
“We’re all friends of youth and that’s what’s going on here and we’re putting it all together in one spot,” Finley said.
He concluded, “I just want to thank everyone who’s put this together, especially all the people who come back year after year to show their vehicles. They’re renewing friendships, we’re doing the same with them and it’s just a bigger family here. So many things happen in Warsaw, we’re just glad to be a part of this one.”
The award ceremony was scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Sunday.

    This red and white 1949 Chevy pickup is owned by Ot and Deb Schroeder, Warsaw. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union