Over the past six months, the Owensboro Sunset Cruisers have held monthly cruise-in events, each with an associated theme. Two events this summer were designed to recognize the community’s veterans, with a third scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 8.
While the final cruise-in of the season would have officially been on Oct. 5, Sunset Cruisers President and U.S. Army veteran Joe Anderson said the group decided to extend the season a few days in order to raise additional funds for Honor Flight Bluegrass. This final cruise-in will be held at Texas Roadhouse at 943 Moseley Rd. in the form of a “Dine to Donate” event, with 10 percent of total food purchases going to support Honor Flight.
“Most of our members are veterans,” Anderson said. “We’ve always been involved with Toys for Tots and the Veterans Day parade — that was our military connection. Last year was the first year we were involved with the Honor Flight.”
The Daviess County Sheriff’s Office works in conjunction with Honor Flight Bluegrass each year to ensure veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam are able to visit Washington, D.C. and their aptly named memorials. The cost to send each veteran and their guardian on the Honor Flight is approximately $500 per person.
Anderson said the Sunset Cruisers held a similar event at Texas Roadhouse in July which helped to get the donations started.
“We are in the $2,000 neighborhood right now,” Anderson said of the monies raised so far, “but you never know how it goes. There is the Dine to Donate at Texas Roadhouse — that helps a lot. And we’re going to have a vacation and overnight stays. We just felt like the veterans deserved one more attempt.”
According to Anderson, beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oakley Motorsports will be onsite at Texas Roadhouse along with a drag car display. Raffles will also be held for a vacation at the Tropicana Casino in Evansville, sponsored by American Patriot Getaways, and an overnight stay at the Quality Inn in Owensboro.
For more information, visit the Sunset Cruisers Facebook page.
