Manufacturing Careers Showcase & Shoreway Classic Car Show Attract Thousands

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Good Deeds Car show benefits trade education

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

It's always nice to see manufacturers, school officials, government and auto enthusiasts come together for a worthy cause. That's exactly what happened recently at the Max S. Hayes Career and Technical High School's Career Opportunities Showcase.

"Basically, this was not about cars, it was designed to engage students from the Cleveland City Schools who are in grades 7 through 10 to get them interested in technical and trade education," says David Mallie, president of D.A. Motorsports. "Max Hayes is the only trade school in the Cleveland system and it's only at about half capacity. So we put together an event where we invited students in those grades to come to Max Hayes with their parents to learn about technical and trade education."

Certainly, trade education and touring Max S. Hayes' facilities in and of itself would pull in some people, but even Mallie acknowledges that more was needed to pull in the crowd.

 

"We realized we needed something with a little more excitement, so we put together the Cleveland Shoreway Classic," Mallie says.

The area from West 44th through West 49th was blocked off and RTA diverted on Saturday, May 12 from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. The show included race cars, specialty vehicles, classic cruise cars and bikes of all shapes and varieties. More than 150 trophies were given out including two for Best of Show in car and bike categories.

"We also had Larry Nance who had his race car on hand, and was there signing autographs," says Mallie. "When Larry found out this event was going on at Max Hayes, he was particularly interested because he went to high school for automotive mechanics and then went to Clemson for industrial welding. He took trade education throughout his scholastic career because he thought he was going to be a mechanic."

After being a standout with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Nance went on to a career in automotive racing. He now owns Larry Nance Racing.

"Mayor Frank Jackson was also there for about 45 minutes as was Tracy Martin of the Cleveland City Schools," Mallie adds.

Best of all, the event exposed Cleveland City School students to the many career opportunities available in a wide variety of industrial trades - the same trades that are the backbone of our local economy.

"In addition to the show, students saw the many career opportunities in building, construction, transportation, welding and machining trades - which were all among the stops on their tour," says Mallie. "After the tour was over, students received a packet of information and then went to a manufacturers' showcase where they were shown various products made by local companies. Here they could see what they might be making if they chose a specific career path such as machining. They also found out what company they might be working for and what they may be making."

The event was a resounding success.

"We far exceeded our goal of the open house, which was to bring in some 250 new freshman for the 2008 class," Mallie says. "Between the time of putting on the event and right now, we have more than 275 students pre-registered for fall classes - and that number is still growing."

Mallie stresses that D.A. Motorsports simply produced the show.

"A lot of credit has to be given to the Westside Industrial Retention and Expansion Network (WIRE-Net), the organization responsible for underwriting the event," he says. "But we also had a large number of other partners who really stepped up to the plate."

While proceeds from the entrance fee for the auto show helped to support the event, many organizations went that extra mile to ensure the event's success, adds Mallie.

Special thanks go out to: D.A. Motorsports' Jim Fagan who went above and beyond as director of operations for the event; Max S. Hayes Principal David Volosin; T.E.A.M. Academy's David Mikita; Cleveland Municipal School District's Tracy Martin; Mayor Frank Jackson; Councilman Matt Zone; Larry Nance of Cavaliers fame and Larry Nance Racing; CORNWELL TOOLS; Advance Auto Parts; Steve Legerski of the Grand Prix of Cleveland; Mr. Gasket; Time Bandit Racing; Jergens; Talan Products; Criterion Tool; The Great Lakes Towing Company; Midwest Box; National City Bank; The Cruisin' Times Magazine; Cleveland Public Power; Dominion; Alcoa; Dairymens and Summers Rubber, among others without whose time and support the event wouldn't have been possible.