07 Feb Harlem Valley Car Club Gives Back to Community

Have you ever noticed that, on fair-weather Wednesday afternoons in the summer,  beautiful antique cars start appearing in the Village of Pawling?  That’s the weekly Car Cruise of the Harlem Valley Car Club, which is held in the parking lot of Hudson Valley Plastics.  The club reached out to us recently to tell us about what they’re up to, and we were eager to learn more.

          The club was founded in early 2008 by Paul Kaufman and Chad Henke, meeting at Angelina’s Gelatoria in Wingdale.  The intention of the club was to provide exposure for Angelina’s, which was a new business trying to make a difference.  Angie was a great advocate for the club, regularly advertising in the Pennysaver for both the HVCC and her business.

           Since that time, the club has been hosted at several locations throughout the area, settling in for the last few years in the Village of Pawling, and it has grown to include about 80 active members. Club president Chad Henke said, “We have received a warm welcome, and hope that we bring a little extra exposure to all the vIllage has to offer.”

          Their website states, “HVCC is a car club dedicated to everything automotive. From today’s high-tech performance vehicles, to vintage American muscle cars, home built custom street rods, & some wild project cars.  We have it all!”   In addition to their weekly cruise during the car season, they also have an annual car show as part of Dover Day, held annually at Boyce Park in Wingdale.

           Harlem Valley Car Club isn’t just a car club though, it’s a social club too.  In addition to car shows, club members get together for events like holiday parties and chili cook-offs too!  They also volunteer for a variety of good causes. For example, the club has adopted a two-mile stretch of NYS Route 55, just outside the village, with club members forming a clean-up crew to remove litter from the sides of the road.  An automotive class at Dover High School, Dover Legacy Racing, just recently reached out to the car club for a partnership with their team.  The team is building a Factory Five Cobra replica, competing in the Winners Circle Project.  Members of HVCC will volunteer in any way they can to help out.

           The club also raises funds to support local nonprofits, making annual donations to the Pawling Resource Center and the Center for Compassion in Dover, as well as the Dover American Legion..  They also provide small scholarships for graduating seniors from area high schools who are planning to study in an automotive related program. Additionally, Harlem Valley Car Club currently provides sponsorships to two different race teams and one kart team.

           “We’re a great organization that gives a lot back to our community,” said Jim Troetti , who serves as treasurer for the club. The club raises funds mostly from membership dues, their annual car show and sponsorships on their website.  Their website gets a surprisingly high number of hits, so it’s a great value for small business sponsors.

            If you’d like to learn more about the Harlem Valley Car Club or to become a sponsor,  visit their website at harlemvalleycarclub.com or contact Jim Troetti at ji*******@*****il.com.

–by Amy Emke