For the Love of Cars and Community Meet Reflections N Glass Corvette Club!
By Lacrystele Brown
FWIS Contributing Writer
Nearly 10 years ago a group of friends, Dave Pride, Bob Hawkins, Virgil Alexander, Charles Smith, Gilbert Jones, Donald Wyatt, the late Leonard Rogers and Raymond Harris started jumping in their Corvette’s, and meeting up to talk about cars, go eat, and engage in other activities together. At this time, they didn’t really consider themselves a club, they just all had Corvette’s and they all had a love for them. As time went on the group of friends began noticing how much everyone, especially children admired their cars when they would go on these outings. Happy with the love and attention they were receiving, and the impact they were having by just being out with their cars, the group decided to do something positive for the community and they started a club. Reflections N Glass Corvette Club, one of the first African American Corvette Clubs in Indiana, started hosting fundraisers, having car shows, giving out scholarships, and helping the less fortunate members of the community.
Initially, Reflections N Glass gave out 4 scholarships for $200 but as the club continued to grow and flourish, they were able to do more. The latest scholarship give away featured 8 recipients and they each received $500. To apply for the scholarship, students write a 1-page essay detailing what they would do to help their community once they have obtained their degree. Students also have to include what receiving the $500 scholarship means to them. Students can apply for the scholarship March-May annually with the deadline being May 30th with winners announced and rewarded around the third week of June during the annual car show.
Helping the less fortunate is very important to Reflections N Glass Corvette Club. Each year they host several events in hopes of helping others. Around the Christmas holiday the club gives away turkeys so that families can have a nice Christmas dinner. The club even goes to McMillan Park to host cookouts during some of the basketball tournaments that the local adults and children put together. The club has also joined forces with the American Legion for the Caring Is Sharing Bookbag Give Away and they even host a car show every year at the Boys and Girls Club. During the Memorial Day Parade, Veterans Day Parade and Post 148 the club escorts and provides rides for any veteran that would like one, the club also does this for the Juneteenth committee and their dignitaries for the Juneteenth Parade. As the club has grown, they have been able to start donating and attending the events of other clubs and organizations such as the United Negro College Fund and other Corvette Clubs. You can even book the club for your event or your child’s party!
Reflections N Glass Corvette Club loves being able to give back and give away scholarships but to do that they not only have to come together but they also have to host events to raise money. The club hosts fundraisers, banquets, parties, family and friend’s picnics at the park, and car shows to raise money. These events are fun and include not only the club members but their families, the community and other organizations and car clubs from near and far. They even give away prizes at these events for things such as Raffle winners, Best Car or even Best Costume. To ensure they are raising money, the club charges a fee to enter vehicles in their car show, they sell tickets to their events, and they also allow vendors to pay a small fee and join their events selling their own products or promoting their businesses.
While the club loves doing for the community, they also love to enjoy one another and their cars. To ensure they are not only working, the club attends car shows and events that other car clubs host in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indianapolis and other places. They also have a monthly meeting and sometimes they just get together and drive down to Lima for ice cream or go to other places to enjoy each other’s company.
Reflections N Glass Corvette Club has 41 members at this time, and they are currently accepting new members! To join you will need to own a Corvette and pay a small entry fee as well as annual dues. You can learn more about Reflections N Glass Corvette Club by checking out their Facebook page or reaching out to Donald Wyatt at (260) 418-4327!
