October 10, 2024 – Though the roads simmered with heat on Saturday, October 5th, the Central Valley Mustangs Club weren’t deterred to host their annual car show acknowledging military and first responders in the area.
The participants of the car show rose early that morning to get their classic cars out to the California 9/11 Memorial on Never Forget Lane out in eastern Fresno in an afternoon of celebration, gratitude, and fun for a variety of Clovis and Fresno locals.
Though the heat tried its’ best to keep them out of the area, these car enthusiasts pushed through and found refreshment in the shade of tents throughout the parking lot as well as where the main stage for the event was located.
Denise Gordon, one of the newest members of the Mustangs Club, spoke about the importance of the event that went well beyond showing off their classic Mustangs.
“It’s one of the few shows that we actually host during the year and everything raised goes towards the fallen heroes,” she stated.
She was referring to the Central Valley Fallen Heroes, who received all the proceeds from the silent auction. The silent auction was a part of the event in which community members could bid on gift baskets and other merchandise from donated items from businesses in the area.
The Central Valley Fallen Heroes is an organization “committed to giving back to families of military, police, fire fighters and other first responders who are injured or lost their lives in the service to our community and country,” according to their website.
Clovis Veterans Memorial District volunteer Steffon Hicklin helped and spoke about the importance behind events such as these. He explained, “A lot of these officers and military personnel, they sacrifice a lot, but we’ve stopped short in thinking of what happens with their families.”
He further stated, “I’m a retired military man myself, but I’ve never been on the other side of the coin. And it certainly puts things into perspective for me that they worry, they have incredible concerns, but for us, it’s trying to stay focused on what it is that we’re trying to accomplish, you know, think about what’s happening at home.”
An air of reverence for these fallen heroes could be felt for those attending the event in its’ final hour, when organizers invited attendees and car show participants to make their way to the main stage where they would announce the awards and honor a few of the families who had lost loved ones in the line of duty.
Three of the awards from the event were named after fallen heroes – Bill Dietzel, a retired vet who was known as the “face of the Veteran’s Day Parade”, “Chuck” Parnell, a Vietnam War veteran who helped found the Veterans Home in Fresno, and Gonzalo Carrasco Jr., a Selma police officer who was shot and killed on the job almost two years ago.
Each of the families of these fallen heroes spoke after presenting the awards, sharing the stories of their loved ones gone too soon.
A member of Carrasco Jr.’s family was on the verge of tears as she recalled the aid Central Valley Fallen Heroes has given her and her family after his tragic death in January of 2023.
“Even though it’s been almost two years, we still continue to get support and now it’ll continue to be hard, but we just learn [to] live with our new normal life,” she stated.
Central Valley Fallen Heroes, looking ahead, hopes to continue honoring the lives of military servicemembers and first responders and support the families alongside them. Those interested in supporting their mission can donate on the Central Valley Mustang’s Club website at https://www.cvmustang.org/.