Cars, music event aids local military

Heidi Van Horne - October 2, 2014 - www.chron.com

Cars, guitars and veterans are what this weekend's big Houston auto event is all about. The fourth annual Guitars N' Cars show will rock the city this Saturday, Oct. 4, at Sam Houston Race Park, and it is bringing together some all-American favorites to honor and raise funds to support our country's servicemen and women living in the Houston area.

From noon to 5 p.m., rain or shine, the Guitars N' Cars Auto Show, put on by the Houston Construction Industry Charities, is open to the public. There will be an array of stunning cars on display, from classics, hot rods and muscle cars to exotics, as well as the official Gibson Tour Bus. Having chauffeured celebrities and rock stars, the Gibson bus will be open for visitors to get an inside peek into the lap of rock-legend luxury.

Of course, there will be live music throughout the day to accompany the show and keep things rocking. The Houston Texans Cheerleaders will be making an appearance and there will be a lively and free kids' zone, complete with games, bounce house, sand pit and boxcar derby races to delight the younger attendees.

For the first time, this year, participants can join the inaugural Guitars N' Cars Poker Run on Saturday afternoon for those on two wheels.

Also on hand will be the CertainTeed/Menard's Chevrolet No. 27 NASCAR race car and the No. 88 CertainTeed NASCAR racing truck, joined by show-car driver Larry Mork. Hennessey Performance will be there as well, showing off its ferocious Venom GT.

At 6 p.m., the festivities shift to an all-adult evening for the Guitars N' Cars Silent Auction and Cocktail Reception, which features more live music, entertainment and more cars, until 10 p.m.

Texas performer Hamilton Loomis just returned from touring Europe and will be bringing his talents to the stage for the evening while Fuller's Guitars displays an exquisite collection of historic and rare guitars. The night will feature casino games, a silent auction, dinner and a showing of the "Top 40 finest motorcars."

Local, non-profit organization Houston Construction Industry Charities was created in 2012 to unite those in the construction industry to provide support to local veterans. Since its inception, it has raised over a million dollars in goods, services and funds to benefit the U.S. Vets-Houston program, with a major focus on the Houston Midtown Terrace Facility, an apartment complex and facility for veterans who otherwise could be among the city's homeless population.

The main goal of this year's event is to raise enough funds to purchase a 15-seat passenger van for the facility to transport veterans to medical appointments and outings. Once the van is acquired, it will get its own special customization.

Gordon Clunn, one of the founders of Houston Construction Industry Charities, said, "The U.S. Vets van will feature images from U.S. veteran artist Ken Pridgeon, who has made his life mission creating portraits to memorialize our fallen soldiers."