How It All Started...(bear with us through swiss cheese memories, please)
Way back in the Fall of 2000 (?), after attending a Good Guys car event in Scottsdale, Arizona, Stan Ridgeway returned to Juneau with an idea to have a car show. The goal was to get those really nice cars that are seen only on sunny days out of dry storage and into a facility where people could get a closer look at what was in Juneau.
His wife Margie looked at him like he was out of his mind, but after lots of discussion she gave him her blessing with one minor condition, the show had to at least break even in order to continue a second year. So Stan headed to Centennial Hall with check book in hand and reserved the facility with a $500.00 deposit. The only weekend available was Mothers Day weekend.
Stan started a “list of cars” he knew were in Juneau. The list had well over 100 cars before the first show took place.
One of the major sponsors of the Good Guys show in Arizona was Dodge. Stan called the local Dodge Dealership, Mendenhall Auto, and arranged a meeting with Steve Allwine to discuss the possibility of Dodge becoming a sponsor. Kelly Peres, a local radio personality was invited to the meeting to give guidance and advice on making the show a reality. Steve outlined the requirements for Dodge and Mendenhall Auto to sponsor and participate in the show. It was a simple and smooth process with the decision that any proceeds (profit) be given to a local charity. We agreed to give proceeds to the Juneau Douglas High School activities fund with propriety given to sports and activities that did not have the ability to charge an entrance fee to their events. Some of the activities that benefited were, the Auto Shop, Metal Shop, Student Council, Art Club, and Cross Country Running. Over the next few years individual scholarships were awarded to help students continue their education beyond high school. The 1st Annual Auto Show (2001) proceeds to the activities fund was $6,000.00.
Requiring a not-for-profit organization in order to rent Centennial Hall (Really?) the Southeast Road Runners sponsored this event for 2 years until the Juneau Dipsticks formed and became their own not-for-profit. Five individuals were used to judge the entries the first year. Three people, Cindy Williams, Roger Tersteeg and Randy Phillips judged the cars while Lonnie Accord and Tim Eidseness judged the cycles. Also included in the first year judging was the People’s Choice Award which allowed people who attended the event to vote on a best of show vehicle. The 1st People’s Choice award for an automobile was awarded to Peter Jurasz for his 1964 Cobra. The People’s Choice award for a motorcycle was awarded to Ed Squibb for his 1924 Henderson. In the following years the people’s choice voting continued and local sponsors chose their favorites and cash prizes and/or gift certificates were issued by the sponsors.
Weekly planning meetings were held at a local restaurant and attended by those who were instrumental in making the auto show a success. They were: Eric Simpson, Lonnie Accord, Mike Bethers, Tom Carson, Bill Platte, Lamar Riddle, Stan Ridgeway, Mike Corcoran and Jim Marquardt. Behind the scenes Kelly Peres, with KSUP and Chris Garrison with Alaska Litho printers were additional sponsors working on advertising and promotions. The first motto: Everything from Fins to Fangs.
The next two years were pretty much a continuation of the initial show. The 2nd year was the year that the mystery car was “found”, however the 3rd year was the largest. The 1913 Mercer Race-About was the car that many people in Juneau had heard about but had never seen. Steve Hempel’s father restored the car years earlier and to our knowledge it was one of ten or twelve still in existence at the time . This car obviously won the “People’s Choice” award and is the most expensive and unusual car to have been in the Juneau Auto Show. Christie’s Auto Auction sold a 1913 Mercer in April of 1999, three years prior to the 2nd show, for $926,500.00.
The 3rd year we filled the hall and both entry areas. The weather was great and Centennial Hall allowed sponsor vehicles to be displayed outside on the lawn. There were 12 sponsor awards and John Mayenburg’s model display and Hot Wheels give-away was a great hit with kids. The 4th and 5th annual show continued adding to the success of the show. Feature’s included, Mustangs, Corvettes, Professional Pin Stripers, and a featured auto from the lower 48.
The Annual Custom, Classic and Antique Auto and Cycle Show has been a success in many ways. It has generated a funding base for high school activities, provided individual scholarships for students and given a group of automobile enthusiast a venue to showoff their pride and joy. In addition, the Juneau Dipsticks was formed and has taken over the sponsorship and the continuation of the Annual event.
2010 saw the celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the event and almost all of the People’s Choice recipients returned to participate in the event.
As we are in our second decade, we look forward to expanding on and creating new memories.
Welcome aboard for the ride!