AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The 41st annual car show supporting Make-A-Wish Texas Panhandle is underway this weekend at the Amarillo Civic Center Complex, bringing the community together to celebrate classic cars while helping grant wishes for local children.
The event, hosted by the Panhandle Council of Car Clubs, began Saturday and continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the civic center. Community members and car enthusiasts are invited to view dozens of classic and specialty vehicles while supporting the nonprofit organization’s mission of granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Admission for the car show is $7 for adults and $5 for children older than six.
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According to organizers, the annual show generates a significant portion of the chapter’s yearly funding. Burton Wells, chairman for Make-A-Wish Texas Panhandle, said the event typically raises about $60,000. “The lofty goal is $60,000,” Wells said. “Our average cost of a wish is about $15,000, so that’s at least four children.” The funds come as the organization continues working through a waitlist of about 30 children hoping to receive a wish.
Wells said the chapter’s goal over the next two years is to reduce that waitlist to zero. Many children request trips to places like Walt Disney World Resort, though wishes vary widely. Some children ask for backyard playgrounds, while others use their wish to give back to doctors and medical staff who helped care for them…