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JERSEYVILLE - The Jerseyville Police Department and the Jersey Street Machine Association seem to work in perfect harmony each year for the annual D.A.R.E. Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show.

The event was held this past weekend at Jersey Community High School and a wide assortment of cars, trucks and motorcycles were displayed. The event was hosted by the Jersey Street Machine Association.

The event featured not only the Street Machine Association’s display, but a hot wheels race track for kids, face painting, food, a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, a k-9 demonstration and a dunk tank manned by police, deputies and firefighters. All proceeds benefit the D.A.R.E. program. This funds materials and activities for kids in D.A.R.E. More than 150 were registered for the the show, Jerseyville D.A.R.E. Officer Rich Portwood said.

A vendor space was also included in the display.

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“I would like to say thank you to the Jersey County Street Machine Association, particularly Jeff and Kelly Dixon,” Rich Portwood of the Jerseyville Police Department, said. “Jeff is the club president and Kelly is the secretary and I know they devote a lot of hours to the club and this show. We are very grateful for all the hard work they have put in to this and I'm very grateful for all the work the DARE board puts into the event. Mark's Appliance is our corporate sponsor again this year and donated $1,600 to offset the costs of putting on the show. DARE is very fortunate to receive so many generous donations from local businesses which allows us to not only provide the classroom materials for kids but to also provide a fun day for the kids at the end of the year.”

Edwardsville’s Jodi Petersen was an entry in the D.A.R.E. Car Show with her Corvette.
The idea for Peterson’s 1965 Corvette Stingray, originally started when her aunt drove one in Florida and got her interested. Peterson thought the car would one day be hers, but when her aunt sold the car, she started looking, three or four years of searching found this one.

"I love the car," Petersen said.

Jeff Dixon, president of Jersey County Street Machine Club, said: “We had 150 cars on display today that showed and were judged,” he said. “It doubled our capacity from last year; last year it was about 80. We had a good day. All the proceeds go to the Jerseyville D.A.R.E. program. Our club basically does stuff throughout the year and raises money for special local charities to help out. We do two shows a year, cruise-ins once a month the first Friday at Arby’s and Burger King 5-8 p.m., and that is a fund-raiser for food pantries and such. We have 30 members in our club. I have been president for six years. The club started in early 1980s if not 1970s.”

Portwood continued: “Jerseyville Banking Center has been cooking lunch for all the DARE students on graduation day for years. This year, our plan was to provide more activities for our students. Times have changed and kids these days have so much more pressure than I did when I was their age. When we talk about bullying, cell phones and social media are the focus of the conversation now. When I was that age, kids could escape from bullying when they went home but now social media and texting have taken that safe haven away.

“Kids don't get a chance to escape the bullying and that's one of the reasons I feel DARE is so important. I'm able to interact with the kids and it really opens dialogue and allows them a chance to talk about what is happening in their lives, ask questions and reach out for help. We have tried very hard to make this a family friendly event that everyone can come to, even if they're not into cars. We had activities for the kids, great food, good shopping and some beautiful vehicles. I'm really excited about the event and very proud of the work that has gone into it.”

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