Cruise-In to attract vintage autos to town for charity

When you own a dream car, you tend to turn a few heads - whether you're on the road or not.

There will be plenty of heads on swivel from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of Willow Oak Plaza, where the second annual charity Cruise-In will draw dozens of vintage autos.

Car owners from across the region have been invited to display their wheels for free at the event, where food and raffle tickets will be sold to raise money for the Central Shenandoah CrimeStoppers. Last year's inaugural Cruise-In attracted more than 60 classic cars despite having been postponed because of rain.

"It's not unusual for people to either own these dream cars or to want to own them," said Robert Trayer, president of the CrimeStoppers board and manager of Fisher Auto Parts, which is also located at the Willow Oak shopping center. "Owners come to these things and pop their hoods and set up chairs and just talk to people all day long about their cars. They love it."

Founded more than 20 years ago, the local CrimeStoppers foundation runs a hotline that fields tips about area crimes, doling out cash rewards to those who supply information that lead to an arrest and conviction. The foundation gives out $2,500 to $4,000 a year, said Trayer.

All proceeds Cruise-In proceeds will go to CrimeStoppers. In addition to gabbing about everything from gear shifts to gaskets, attendees also will be able to enjoy music, food and near-nonstop raffle drawings, with prizes donated by various area businesses.

"You guys have really raised the bar here," Cpl. Derek Almarode, a crime prevention officer with the Augusta County Sheriff's Office, said during a recent CrimeStoppers meeting. "We've never had anything like this before."