For the second consecutive year, the Great Neck Plaza Business Improvement District will donate registration fees for the annual Autofest and Street Festival, which will be held on Sept. 21, to the Wounded Warrior’s Project, a non-profit group that seeks to provide care to wounded veterans.
“We had seen where several car shows around the country had chosen Wounded Warriors as their charitable partner,” said Ron Edelson, executive director of the Great Neck Plaza BID. “When we spoke with our car owners they supported our designating Wounded Warriors as the focus of our charitable efforts.”
Edelson said many of the car owners whose classic vehicles appear in the show are veterans and supported the idea of donating their registration fee to the charity.
“It was very well received last year so we made the decision to once again support the important work carried on by Wounded Warriors,” he said.
Jay Corn, vice-president of the Great Neck Plaza BID and chair of the autofest committee, said he hopes to see members of the community donating to the charity as well as the car owners in the show.
“I would like to reach out to the community and say please if you want to send a check, please send it to me,” Corn said.
Corn said the charity aspect of the autofest, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, was “the best kept secret last year.”
“My neighbor, three or four days ago, knocked on my door and gave me a check for Wounded Warriors,” he said. “I’m sure he would have done that last year had he known about it.”
Corn said the BID will also be hosting a drawing at the festival, where any person who made a donation to Wounder Warriors through the BID will be eligible to win a $200 shopping spree at several Great Neck Plaza businesses.
The autofest, which will start at noon and run to 4:30 p.m., will also mark the return of the 1926 Sutz “Speedster,” which was custom built for Cornelius and Grace Vanderbilt.
“We had a lot of people say they were sorry they missed it last year,” Corn said. “So he will be back there.”
Steven Gittelman, the owner of the “Speedster,” said he decided to come back to the autofest because of its charity aspect.
“We support Wounded Warriors and we support the troops,” he said.
Gittelman, a Vanderbilt enthusiast who has written four books on the family, said he purchased the classic car on eBay several years ago.
“I had been looking to own a Vanderbilt car for many years,” he said. “Finally someone called me and said this particular car was for sale on eBay.”
Gittelman said a friend of his will also be bringing a “rare” 1934 Rolls Royce to the show.
“It’s a beautiful restoration,” he said. “It’s almost like new.”
More than 100 vintage cars are scheduled to appear at the Autofest, including Model A Fords, Camaros, Matadors and Corvettes, according to Corn.
Corn said he is expecting more Model A Fords at the autofest than usual, due to a Model A Ford convention taking place in Hauppauge a week before the festival.
The festival will also include the top 12 finalists from the BID’s karaoke competition series. The winner will win the Great Neck Plaza Idol title, according to a press release.
The autofest and street fair, which touts itself as Long Island’s largest one-day car festival, will also include music, carnival games and a petting zoo.
Edelson said the cars will line up on Middle Neck Road from Cutter Mill Road to Maple Drive.
Carnival style rides will be on Grace Avenue and Bond Street and the petting zoo and pony rides will be North Station Plaza.
For more information on the street festival and autofest, call 516-829-1301.
