Afternoon ladies and gents.

I’m gauging interest in a possible full European Meet/Car Show and BBQ in the Tampa Bay area. So this would be for all of Florida.

I am hoping on 150 plus cars ranging from MG to Rolls Royce. Basically if it was produced in Europe, it’s more then welcome at this event. Car clubs are also encouraged to join in. The event has not been scheduled yet but I’m looking to hold at sometime between March and May. Preferably March as to beat the extreme heat.

There would be a small fee for this event to pay for awards, food, water and activities for the day. I was thinking $15 a car. Whether your car has 1 person or 4 people does not matter. This will not your ordinary car show and meet. I’m trying to have this held in a park, so I want you to bring the whole family. There will be plenty of activities for kids and for us adults. I’m attempting to keep this a family event, so no burn outs, drifting, drag racing, or donuts.

Possible activities could include the following:
Flag football
Tug-O-War
Nature trails
Arts and Crafts (for kids)
Volleyball
Horseshoes
3-leg races
etc.


The $15 a car goes to food, water, trophies, and ribbons. Anything extra will be put into a bowl and raffled off. I’m not looking to make a red cent off this meet. Just go out have a good time and make some new friends along the way.

I’m also trying to arrange some vendors and magazines to cover the event. As well as possibly a detailer (that I would trust with a million dollar car) and someone to possibly bring a little more then hamburger to the table for a small fee.

The actual car show would be a judged event with 3 classes.
Best in brand (i.e. Ferrari, BMW, Jaguar)
Best in country (i.e. Britain, Germany, Italy) (1st Place from brand)
Best in show (1st place from country)

So please tell me what you think.

If I am to set this event up I need some responses from the people that would be interested in going....

I decided to change it up a bit. I felt i might as well take advantage of the event and use the proceeds for a good cause. So with that being said the cost per car would be $25 and all proceeds over the cost of the event would go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The reason for this particular charity is simple, my brother Michael past away in Feb 2001 at the age of 35. Anyone that knows anything about this disease knows that just getting past 7 years old is an accomplishment let a lone making it to 35. The ONLY way for an adult with CF can survive honestly is with a lung transplant. When my brother died he was on a quarter lung capacity and a lung transplant would have saved his life.

I would like to give even more but every little bit counts. If you would like to contribute more or know someone that has or has died from CF please let me have their name. I would like to include the names on a list when I give the check to the CFF. As well as the names of the car clubs that come out to the event.

Thank you for your time and I hope to hear from some of you.

Matthew D. Uber

Just a little info on Cystic Fibrosis and the direct link to the site:
http://www.cysticfibrosisinfo.net/
http://www.cff.org/home/

Cystic Fibrosis Information:

Most of us have heard of cystic fibrosis (CF), and know that it is a life sapping disease that primarily affects children, but there's more to it than that.

What is CF?

Cystic fibrosis is a relatively rare, inherited disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. The disease is chronic, progressive and ultimately fatal. It is estimated that there are about 30,000 people in the United States who are affected with CF and between 2,500 and 3,000 babies who are born with it each year. CF can occur in all races, but it is most common in Caucasians who have a Northern European heredity.

What Causes it?

CF is hereditary. Children contract it as the result of both parents passing on an abnormal gene. The parents/carriers are not affected themselves by the abnormal gene and, until a few years ago, had no way of even knowing that they were carriers. Fortunately, since the 1990's tests have been available so parents can determine if they are carriers of the abnormal CF gene.

What it is not

CF is NOT contagious and you cannot catch CF from a person who has it.

What Does the Disease do?

CF causes the exocrine glands (which produce sweat and mucus), to produce abnormal secretions - unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to chronic respiratory problems. The mucus also obstructs the ducts in the pancreas preventing digestive enzymes from reaching the intestines and helping to properly digest food. As a result, people with CF have trouble breathing and absorbing nutrients and as well as eliminating non-digested food.

What are the Symptoms of CF?

* Diarrhea that does not go away
* Foul-smelling stools
* Frequent episodes of wheezing
* Persistent cough
* Salty-tasting skin
* Poor growth
* Chronic sinus infection



Treatment of CF

Treatments for CF are designed to minimize the severity of the symptoms as well as slow the advancement of the disease. The earlier the disease is diagnosed and treatment begins, the more effective the treatments will be.

How is CF treated?

Treatment follows two paths.

Addressing the problems related to obstruction of the lungs utilizing:

Physical Therapy - daily percussion and postural drainage (clapping on the back), helps to loosen lung secretions and stimulate coughing. Exercise which helps loosen mucus, stimulate coughing, improve overall physical condition and medications designed to reduce mucus and antibiotics to treat lung infections

Managing the digestive problems through:

* eating an appropriate diet (well balanced, high calorie, low fat, high protein)
* taking pancreatic enzymes to aid food absorption and digestion
* taking vitamin supplements
* ongoing treatments for intestinal obstructions


Prevention and cure of CF is not currently possible. With medical intervention the disease can be managed effectively, and CF sufferers are living longer due to advances in medical knowledge. (The median age for survival for a person born with CF is in their mid 30's and growing, with some living beyond age 40). Researchers are continuing to develop more effective medications and hope to someday be able to eradicate the disease entirely.

By Murray Anderson

Come on ladies and gents... This is a great cause, but I need feed back from you guys to let me know if it's even worth the time, money, and energy to put into this.