Read to the end if you've seen this man.

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This past Sunday I attended a car show with my Delorean. It is far from the first event I've taken the "time machine" to, but it was an event I'd never been to before. As it would turn out, this one was surely special.

Fall is very busy for car events and in looking for car things to do this weekend, one local event popped up: a car show held in memory of a teenager who passed in a tragic water accident ten years ago.

A couple of days later I was getting breakfast at a local bagel shop and saw a stack of flyers when I was grabbing some napkins. It was for the same event. Then I saw someone post about this specific show on a local car show group online.

I am not one to really believe in "I'm supposed to do this" but seeing the same event three separate times in only a few days solidified my decision to attend.

It was truly worth it.

I arrived a little before 11 when it started and the weather was beautiful. Here on Long Island, we endured nearly a week straight of rain, wind, and overcast & gross weather. In the days leading up to the weekend, we finally got some sunshine. A few cars were there, but I was able to arrive with plenty of room to park and essentially pick my spot. I pulled in and proceeded to get the car set up.

Doors open / up, I hid all my crap in the locked compartment away from view, and got out my chair to take up my position to enjoy the crowd.

The event wasn't packed but there was a good-sized crowd. I had a wonderful steady flow of onlookers come to ask "Where's the flux capacitor?" and any of the myriad of questions I always get as an owner. Here's a secret: I love answering them because it's fun. It never gets old.

Throughout the day friends and family of Dominic, the teen who this was all to memorialize, came over to chat and convey their appreciation of my attending. You could see they were working hard to put on a great show and raise money for water safety education. Each and every person I met was genuinely friendly and kind. I'd never been to a car show that had such interaction with the organizers and the attendees.

Then something humbling happened.

Every car was assigned a number and attendees could vote on their favorites. The winners would get a medal. The top-nine cars were read off and none were mine. That was okay. I came to enjoy the day and not for the hardware. But the family then announced the trophy for "Dom's Choice". This is the car that the family felt he would have loved the most.

Over the loudspeaker, they announced it was the Delorean. My car.

I've won judged competitions in the past but this hit in a different way. For a car show to honor a tragic accident and raise awareness money, that alone is a big reason to participate. But to then be told and awarded a trophy saying my car was the one he would've loved the most... is next level.

When I walked up to accept the trophy I just kept thanking them and showed my appreciation. It was an honor in every sense of the word.

After all the awards and raffles were done, the family asked to take some pictures of me and the car for their social media and website. Of course, I said yes and I was once again humbled by their insistence that Dom would have loved seeing my car.

Hearing them talk about him in the most positive light and with true love in their hearts was wonderful. I was so happy I attended and could bring not only surprise & delight to the attendees who saw my car but also to bring a level of happiness and gratitude to a family who has truly taken a terrible situation and turned it into the best positive they can.

I will plan to do my best to attend this show from now on. If I was Dom's Choice this time around, it would be great to say hello to new friends.

If you would like to learn more about The Dominic Trionfo Memorial Fund, you can click here. Please consider donating if you are able.


Here's today's Random Factoid: Bubbles are the number one cause of damage to ship propellers. Source

Poll of the week

Last week's results:

Would you rather every family gathering was a water fight or a food fight?

In a question for the ages, the water fight won! Now, the real question: balloons or super soakers??

TODAY'S POLL

Would you rather live in a treehouse or in an underwater bunker with views of the ocean floor?

🌴🏠 Treehouse
🦑 Ocean Floor

Results will be posted in the next newsletter.