20th Century Chevy Car Club

Eastside Park in Washington hosts a variety of events year-round. The Washington Community Building is located there, Baumert Lake, lots of flora and fauna, bands playing in the summer, an impressive light display during the winter holidays, carnivals-the list of attractions seems endless. One of the largest events, with hundreds of participants and thousands of visitors, is the Annual 20th Century Chevy Car Club Show.

Held the third weekend of September, the show's main feature is a traditional "cruise in" on Saturday night when participants drive through town and out through the countryside, with large crowds watching along the route. The Car Show hosts hundreds of classic cars, live bands, drawings, a raffle for a Corvette, and many other activities.

As one might imagine, the event takes a toll on Eastside Park, which requires quite a bit of clean-up after the show is over. Car Club members do their part, both by helping with clean-up and with cash donations to park officials as a way of thanking them for use of the area.

Recently, Car Club members decided to take their gratitude a step further. In recognition of the many years they have been hosted by Eastside Park, and to show their commitment to its preservation, they have established an endowment through the Daviess County Community Foundation.

The 20th Century Chevy Car Club Eastside Park Fund not only will benefit the park forever, with yearly grants to help with renovations and maintenance, but it will keep the memory of the Car Club alive forever, long after the members are gone, and it's a reminder for the people who enjoy the park of how much they cared about their community.

"We have appreciated being able to hold our show in Eastside Park every year," said club member Dave Fry, "and we want future generations to continue to have a nice place to go."