For the first time in several years, the Annual Segerstrom Car Show is returning at full throttle. After being suspended because of the pandemic, counselor Frankie Gonzalez has jump-started the Car Show back to life. This event will be hosted on May 19th to serve as a fundraiser and a showcase of beautiful cars.
Mr. Gonzalez has been the event coordinator ever since proposing the idea. He originally thought of hosting a car show because of his childhood experience. With that love and passion for cars, he would work on providing Segerstrom with a unique event every year.
“I’ve been into classic cars since I was a little kid. My dad used to take me to car shows [and] car swap meets. I have always had [a] love for cars and fixing [them up. So that’s how I got the idea of [doing a] car show; it’s a part of the community and a part of the [c]ulture.”
Mr. Gonzalez has always wanted to provide Segerstrom students assistance beyond his counseling duties. The Car Show serves as a way to provide scholarships to several graduating students. Mr. Gonzalez, along with former DSO Carlos Quezada, pitched the premise to host a car show.
“But deep inside, when [I] started to think about the students, I was able to give back to my community where I grew up. So I got motivated and talked to Los, our former security officer, and we said ‘Let’s do it.’ We got approval from the District and that is how it began.”
This year, Mr. Gonzalez decided to have school clubs fundraising and a raffle at the car show. The raffle will have prizes donated by the community but could be worth up to $250. One of the featured prizes is an entire bedroom set. However, the main focus of the event is towards the scholarships.
“We are planning on giving out eight $500 scholarships. One of our counselors donated enough to give two [additional] scholarships. We have some sponsors coming in, so we might even give more if possible. I think it’s definitely going to have a big impact this year.”
These scholarships aim to aid seniors before they embark on college. They are funded by the community through donations. Yet to some, the scholarship process may seem daunting as they do require an application and a teacher recommendation. Despite this, there was a greater turnout because of how accessible the application was.
“[The applicant] turnout was more than previous years. In previous years I had to beg the students. This year we had no issues with the help of Mrs. Pinneda. She’s very techy, so we were able to do things differently this year as far as social media, Google Forms, and QR codes which made it a lot easier for applicants.”
From the scholarships to the car showcase, there is a lot to do at the Segerstrom Car Show. It is open to all friends and family and they actively encourage visitors. In summary, the Car Show is shaping up to be an amazing event that may reinvigorate this annual tradition for years to come.
“There is going to be music, great food, and a lot of great cars. It’s going to be a fun day. It’s going to be a great day for our community to be here and enjoy a fun time with family and friends.”
