Breakfast Optimist Club’s 140 members thank all involved in making the 2nd Annual “Cruse in to Downtown Warsaw” a great success. 129 vehicles were on display while over 600 visitors spent the afternoon in downtown Warsaw. Twenty seven merchants welcomed them into their stores and displayed the variety of shops located downtown.

All enjoyed the pizza made by Stone Baker pizza in their 1949 Studebaker fire truck, the Altrusa’s food tent and the Kosciusko Community Hospital’s health tent.

Special thanks to Cindy Dobbins, Warsaw Community Development Corporation and Mark Dobson and Trina Hoy of the Warsaw Chamber for their efforts. WRSW –FM 107.3 and Willie 103, General Manager Clint Marsh and the Times-Union assisted in telling the community about the event. DJ Chris Cage supplied a great mix of songs.

Unfortunately, the rain shortened the day’s activities and our guests did not get to enjoy the Anaomaly Band or the Lakes Area Band nor really get to hear the Chain O’ Lakes Chorus sing. The downpour at 5 p.m. also drowned out the cruise to Winona Lake.

We appreciate our Street department in making sure the streets received a good cleaning and providing the safety barricades. Chief Scott Whitaker and many area police escorted a cruise to Winona Lake. Jon Garber and the Parks Department also provided extra effort in getting the flower beds planted and provided us tables for our registration tent.

Somethinn’ Funn’s inflatable was enjoyed by the children. All enjoyed seeing the Toyota NASCAR race car owned by Dave Illingworth. Bob Fuson’s two fire trucks and Roger Crouse’s huge wrecker were nice additions to our show. We all appreciated the Studebaker Museum and the Hudson Museum’s cars that were on display. Other special guest were the Hoosier A Ford Club and the Fort Wayne Corvette Club, Kerlin Ford’s truck, Marsh’s delivery truck, Jerry Williams’s 1931 Post Office truck and David Stewart’s 1929 Ford Roadster.

See you on May 20, 2012 for the 3rd Annual “Cruise in to Downtown Warsaw.”

Art Gakstatter and John Elliott,  Co-Chairman

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