D.A.R.E. CAR SHOW HELD IN EDWARDSVILLE

EDWARDSVILLE - Cherry, lime and orange were not tasty fruit, but
rather the paint colors of dozens of vehicles at the 19th annual
D.A.R.E. Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show.

Rows of brightly colored cars, trucks and motorcycles filled the
parking lot Sunday at Edwardsville High School for the annual event,
which benefits the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.

"My car is candy apple red," said Ron Stroud of East
Alton.

Stroud entered his restored 1969 Chevrolet Yenko 427 SC Nova in the
show.

"I've had it around 10 years and this is my eighth year being here,"
he said.

He said he enjoys the event, especially seeing so many great looking
vehicles - especially muscle cars.

"My car has sentimental meaning for me," Stroud said.

Stroud said three days after he got out of the U.S. Air Force in 1968
he purchased a brand new Nova.

"Mine was blue, but it was it was the first new car I ever owned," he
said.

Stroud said he purchased the muscle car in Florida and had it
restored.

"It was in fair condition when I got it, but everything that could
leak on it did," he said.

He said besides the paint color, nearly everything else on the car is
restored.

"It's a true tribute car," he said.

Stroud said Yenko produced only 37 of the vehicles and there are only
10 left in the country.

Throughout the parking lot there were hundreds of classic cars and
trucks from the 1930s and '40s, muscle cars and decked-out low-riders
from the 1970s and automobiles of the 1980s.

Jack Rhoades of Godfrey showed off his flame red metallic 1987 Pontiac
Trans Am GTA. As several people passed by the car they complimented
him on it.

"Wow you did a great job restoring it," a woman said.

"It's all original," Rhoades said. "It's never had any work done to
it."

Rhoades said that he purchased the car new and the only time he takes
it out is for car shows nowadays.

In the back of the car Rhoades showed off a book written my Jim
Childs, "Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am 1967- 2002."

"My car was featured in this book," he said as he flipped to some of
the pages.

Rhoades said that he's tried to take excellent care of the car and
never takes it out in inclimate weather.

"It's never been out in the snow since I've had it," he said. "I keep
it covered and parked in my garage. It's only got 40,000 miles on it."

Both Stroud and Rhoades said they enjoyed coming to the show said
because it's for a good cause.

Sarah Yates, one of the event's coordinators, said that 319 vehicles
were entered into this year's show.

"We had a good turnout," Yates said.

Trophies were given for Best of Show, Best Paint, Best Motor, Best
Interior and D.A.R.E.'s pick.